Cupid's Arrow
by Eri Reed
Summary: Cupid Valentinus has been Chosen to be the keeper of Valentine's Day. She has lived peacefully for over a thousand years. But with the Boogeyman on the rise, the keeper of Halloween on the edge, and a newfound love, her life has drastically changed for the worse. Join Cupid's life as she struggles with fear, love, and a friendship bordering a breakthrough.
1. Rebirthing

**Rebirthing**

I shot up from where I lie with a sharp gasp. Immediately, my hand went to my chest, but no arrow was found. The pain – like the arrow – was gone, as if I had never been shot. But how can that be? I felt it pierce my heart. There was not even a puncture wound. That is when I noticed the jewelry. Clasped around my wrists were bracelets of pure gold. I was not wearing them when I fell unconscious. On the bicep of my right arm was another gold accessory with pink strands veiling over it.

Wait a second…The pink strands…It was my hair! Letting out a startled cry, I tried to pull the wig from my head, but it was not a wig. My once blond hair was now as pink as the sky at sunset. My once warm attire had changed, too. The white toga still hugged my body, but the sleeves were shortened; and instead of warm shoes, I wore sandals, with black ribbons wrapping up around my calf. Around my waist was a new belt made of pure gold.

My heart was racing. "What has happened to me?" I asked no one. I was alone. I had changed. Even the altar was different. When I blacked out, everything was bright with the afternoon sun. Flowers and colorful strings had decorated the room. People were hustling about preparing for the day to come. But now it was night. Pews were flipped, mirrors and windows were shattered, no bright decorations in sight. From the open doors down the aisle, I could see it was snowing outside.

My breath came out in puffs before me, but I was not cold at all. Still, I pulled my cloak around my arms closer. Or I tried to. There was something on my back that made it hard to bring my cloak closer. Standing carefully, I realized I had become heavier yet lighter at the same time. I felt…weightless, yet on my back there was a strange mass. I reached behind me to check the problem. Instead of finding my now missing sheath of arrows, my fingers brushed against a feathery material. With a gasp of fright, I ran my hand down the bone of the wing and then spun in circles just trying to grab it. Wings were sprouting from my back!

In my spinning, I managed to topple over to the floor where the moonlight bathed me from a shattered window. Lifting myself to a sitting position, I looked up to the full moon. Suddenly everything started to click together. "Did…you do this?" I asked the moon. He gave me no answer, but I knew it was his doing. "What is going on? Please tell me," I begged. Again, no answer. Did I expect the voice of a god? Was that bright circle in the sky supposed to talk to me? He never did before.

Sighing deeply, I stood on my feet. I did not know what was going on, why I was still alive. All I knew was that I had to find Domitus and Aelia. Turning my back to the moon, I set off outside, but not even two steps ahead my foot kicked something on the ground. Blinking, I looked down and saw there was a quiver of arrows and a bow at my toes. I knelt down and picked up the sheath. It was not the one I had before. Mine was handmade by my father, out of the hide of an animal. This one was made of leather, sturdy. The strap was not one you could slip on – you had to buckle this one together.

The sheath was packed with arrows. I slipped one out and studied it. Metal and thick, with a white feather fletching. The arrowhead was red and in the shape of a heart. This seemed to be the case for all the arrows. Setting down the sheath, I then picked up the bow. It was all white and felt like it was made of pearl. Intricate designs marked it all over.

The moon did not have to directly talk to me to let me know that this weapon belonged to me. I slipped the sheath of arrows on my back, over my cloak and out of the way of my wings. Standing, I took the bow in my hands. For a split moment, I had wished I could put it somewhere so I would not have to hold it. As if reacting to my thoughts, the bow disappeared in a flash of sparkles. I jumped slightly, but assured myself I would be able to bring it back if I pleased. Exhaling shakily, I looked over my shoulder at the moon. He seemed to smile down at me, as if he was proud I was catching on.

Sighing once more, I made my way outside. Snow fell around me and I held my hand out to catch a few flakes, wondering why I was not affected by the cold. Across from me was the forest. To my right was a large pond. I went over to it and fell to my knees. Leaning over the edge, I looked deep into my reflection. As I feared, my eyes were not the same either. Once as blue as the sky, my irises were now the color of rubies. And sure enough, appearing behind my reflection, were my newly found wings.

I looked up to the moon, hoping for an answer this time. An answer never came. Catching my eye on the other side of the pond was a dove. My wings matched its color. It must have been one of the doves Aelia tried to show me before…before….

The bird stared at me and I stared back. I watched the graceful bird take flight and fly off into the night. I had wings just like it. Perhaps I could fly, too. I stood and turned around, going to the end of the hill where I could see the village I had lived in. I had no idea what time it was, but I knew I had to find Domitus and Aelia and find out what had happened to me.

First, I had to make sure I knew how to use these newfound wings. I willed my right wing to flex, and then did the same to my left, then at the same time. The light breeze caught my wings, but I stayed put. At full length, the wings must have been at least sixteen feet long. After seeing how far they could open, I checked to see how close they could come together.

I repeated this test until I was satisfied that I could control them. Now it was time to see how well I could fly, if at all. Bending my knees, I closed my eyes and willed the white wings to flap. The power behind the wings was incredible. Within a few flaps, I felt my feet leave the ground. I was so surprised by the sensation I lost my concentration and collapsed to the ground. Though it hurt my knees, I had to laugh.

This was insane. How could I fly? I refused to believe the one reasonable explanation I had. Forcing myself to reign in my hysteria and tears, I stood again and flapped my wings once more, this time leaving my eyes open. Soon I was lifted from the ground. I forced myself to keep calm. Opening my wings wider, I let myself gently glide to the ground once more.

Thinking back to the dove, I tried to mimic its actions. So, I opened my wings, bent slightly, and pushed myself off the ground. I began to flap frantically in the natural fear of falling. Much to my amazement, I was kept above the ground and propelled forward. With my stomach facing the world below, I took off into town.

It was a feeling like no other. I felt as light as a feather. The cold February air engulfed me, pushing against my face. To keep myself airborne, I flapped my wings whenever I felt myself going down, like I had seen birds do. It was an odd view from above; I had never seen the tops of the houses in my town. Domitus and Aelia's house was not hard to spot, even from above. Their new home was on farmland just outside of town. Once I spotted the fields, I leaned downward at an angle, thinning out my wings. Bird watching did not seem so odd now that I was the one with the wings. It was only because I had enjoyed seeing birds in flight that I knew how they came to a touchdown. Once I was nearing the ground, I swung my legs to a standing position, flapping my wings every few seconds to keep me from plummeting.

My feet touched the soft ground and I felt weak. Despite never flying before, I was surprised at how well I did. Still, it was a different experience and I was not yet used to it. I definitely would not be trying any tricks or testing my limits any time soon. For now, I would stick to the basic getting from point A to point B. Swallowing back fear, I turned and faced the tall house that kept my best friend and her new husband.

I tried the back door first and luckily it was not locked. Inside the home smelled like Domitus was cooking. To prove my theory, I saw a cauldron sat on the fire, warming up stew. "Domitus? Aelia?" I called out, but no one answered. Exiting the kitchen, I checked the living room, but no one was there. From the bottom of the staircase, I heard sounds of life. I carefully went upstairs, calling out, "Domitus? Are you here? It is me…"

Aelia and Domitus were in their room. Aelia sat on her bed, eyes buried in her hands, sobbing loudly. Domitus sat in a chair in the corner of the room, staring into nothing. I entered the room, a smile breaking out across my face, tears jumping to my eyes. I was so relieved so see them again, even if they looked so dejected. They must have thought I was dead. In their mourning, they did not notice me. "Aelia…Domitus, it is me," I said chuckled. "I am alive. See? I am still here!"

Still, neither of them said a word. "Aelia…Aelia, look at me," I said, going over to her and kneeling in front of her. "Aelia, please do not cry. I am still alive; I did not die. I-" I reached out to grab her arms…but instead, I went right through her.

I jumped up with a gasp. "No…No, no, no!" I tried to grab Aelia again with the same result. I scrambled across the room to Domitus, but just like Aelia, I went through him, too. Collapsing to my knees, tears began to stream down my cheeks. "Please, do not do this! I am alive! Can you not see me? Domitus!" I shouted.

However, no matter how much I begged, the truth was evident. I was dead. Why I came back, I did not know. At the time, I thought I would never know. After a few hours, Domitus and Aelia went to sleep. I did not part from them, even as the sun rose over the mountains. I was not tired at all. I never wanted to leave them. I wanted to do all I could to let them know that I was still there. "Please see me, please, please…" I begged silently, trying to touch Aelia's shoulder. Of course I went through her, causing me to shudder. It almost hurt to phase through people – both physical pain and emotional pain.

With the moon gone and the sun rising, I realized that there would not be much I could do to get them to see me. But I promised myself I would stay by their side. If I was an angel, I would make use of it and be their guardian angel.


	2. Life After Death

**Life After Death**

It did not get easier. I shortly learned that absolutely no one could see me. Every time someone went through me, it was like getting the wind punched right out of me. I shuddered and my heart raced. It made me want to break down and cry.

I spent the next forty years following Aelia and Domitus. It took a year, but they were finally married. The ceremony was not held in the church where I died. In fact, that building went untouched by man, except for the few brave teenagers who heard it was haunted and went out in search for the ghost of Cupid Valentinus.

One year after I died, Aelia and Domitus came to the church and made a small grave for me. Aelia cried, but Domitus remained strong for his new wife. My best friend spoke fondly of me and I cried, too. It was unbearable not to be able to hold her again. To let her know I was there, I flapped my wings, producing a wind that rustled the trees and their hair. Domitus lifted his head and looked around, and for a moment, I thought he was staring right at me. A painful look crossed his face and he turned away.

I was there for their wedding. It was in a church far from where I died. Just like before, they had doves, and the second Domitus kissed his bride, they were released. Though I could not have been happier for them, I was still forlorn. I wanted to be there. I wanted to congratulate Aelia on marrying the man of her dreams; I wanted to embrace the man who brought her so much happiness.

That night I left the two alone. I sat on their roof, hugging my knees to my chest, watching people walk in the streets below. People that would never know I was there. People who might have heard my name around town, but would never know who I really was. "Cupid Valentinus?" they would say. "Is that the boy who died in the old church or something?"

My father named me Cupid because he desperately wanted a boy. When he saw that I was female, he kept the male name. I had been teased about my name as a child, but over the years, I came to like it because it was different. I did not know, though, that in the years to come, "Cupid" would mean something.

In my melancholy, I lifted my face to the Moon. "Are you still not speaking to me?" I asked him. There was no answer, yet somehow I felt as though someone was finally listening. Swallowing hard, I searched for the words. For a year, he never spoke back to me. Now that I had spent sixteen months in near solitude, was I worthy enough to speak to him? "I…I do not like this," I said, choking back tears. "I feel so alone. You brought me back, did you not? So, why? That is all I want to know: why? Did I do something wrong? Is this what I get for not being able to warn Aelia and Domitus?"

There was a beat. And then a cool wind played with my hair. And the moon spoke to me. He said that I will learn all the answers to my questions in time. He assured me that my life was worth far more than what it was now. If I was patient, I would see exactly what he meant.

* * *

The decade passed agonizingly slowly. I stayed with Aelia and Domitus, joining their adventures as a married couple. They had four children: two boys and two girls – the oldest daughter they named Cupid. I made sure to keep an eye out for them. During the day, I busied myself with watching over the family. Pretending that I could speak to them and they could hear me. As infants, I learned that each child could see me, but as they grew older into their toddler years, I became an invisible entity once more. I also found that the only time I can touch somebody is when they are asleep.

At night, when everyone was asleep, I would sit on the roof and talk with the Man in the Moon – who I started to call MiM after a while. I did not need to sleep; nor did I tire or hunger or thirst or anything else. It was weird and different. I was so used to getting tired around midnight, but I quickly found that none of those human qualities mattered anymore. Days meshed together and it was almost hard to keep up with the passing years.

I was not alone in the world, but I undoubtedly felt lonely. During the day, I did not have anyone to talk to. So at night, I relished the time I got to spend with MiM. I told him about my loneliness reluctantly. MiM was a placid and wise man, but I was not sure if he would mistake my desperation for rudeness somehow. Thankfully, when I came out with it, MiM was as understanding as ever. He told me that the time for my loneliness would be over soon. Soon, I would not have to feel lonely.

Of course his definition of "soon" and mine were completely different. What I thought would happen the next day turned out to happen three years later. Cupid was thirteen. The next born, Agrippa, was eleven. Next was Aeliana, who was five. Aelia was combing out her youngest daughter's hair. The woman was pregnant with her last child – Paulus – and was due any week now.

I sat beside Agrippa, reading over his shoulder. Cupid was sewing across the way. Domitus scrambled around, preparing for the snow. Outside the February snow had ceased. There was news about a grand meeting with the pope that day and everyone that could would attend. Aelia could not attend because she could not stress the baby, so she agreed to stay home with the children while Domitus and Agrippa went to see what the news was about. Agrippa was already ready, waiting on his father.

"Father, I want to go with you," Cupid whined, setting down her needle and thread.

"No," Domitus replied briskly. "It is far too cold. You need to stay here with your mother."

There was no use arguing with Domitus, so Cupid let it drop. Once the man was ready, Agrippa looked up from his book. "Are you ready to go, Father?" he asked.

"Yes, yes, let us go," Domitus said. "We will be late."

He kissed his wife and youngest daughter and headed out the door. Agrippa hugged his mother and ruffled Aeliana's hair. Because I could tell nothing particularly exciting was going to happen here, I slipped out the door quickly. Domitus and Agrippa jogged through the streets, treading through deep snow. I paused at the door, taking the time to marvel at the beautiful snow. Winter was my favorite season. When I was alive, I loved to play in the snow. Hunting in the snow was especially my favorite thing to do.

I snapped back into reality when I realized that Domitus and Agrippa were far down the street from me. "Hey, wait for me!" I called. Extending my wings, I crouched down and then propelled myself into the air. I flew in the air above Domitus and Agrippa, not losing sight of them. As they jogged, I kept up, trying not to go too far ahead of them.

It was not long before I saw the great cathedral in the distance. Arching upward, I flew as high as I could. It surprised me to see how many people had come to hear the pope's message. Swooping down to the ground, I landed beside Domitus and walked beside him. The snow beneath my sandals made no sound; Domitus showed no signs of acknowledging me.

"It is not far from here," I said to him, keeping up with his pace. Looking up, I pointed at the steeple above the buildings. "See? There it is now! Come on, before he starts without us!" Though I wanted to grab Agrippa's arm and drag him along, I knew that was impossible. Instead, I flew up and circled the crowd.

Domitus and Agrippa took their places in the rapidly multiplying crowd. In fear of standing through a person, I sat on top of a building, keeping my eyes on Domitus. Once the pope came out to the balcony, the crowd was silenced. You could hear a pin drop. And then he began to speak. His announcement?

A holiday.

A holiday taking place February 14th. It would be called Saint Valentine's Day. It would celebrate love. As he spoke about the reason behind this holiday, something amazing happened. I began to glow. At first I did not notice because it was my wings that began glowing first. Then the glowing intensified. And my bracelets started to glow – a soft and bright pink. The quiver on my back did the same, as did my belt.

The bright light glowed brighter and brighter throughout his speech. At his last word, the light engulfed me. My world went white for a few moments.

The first thing to come back was sound. The roar of the crowd was deafening. Soon the light cleared and I was in the same position I was before. I exhaled deeply as if it was my first breath. Furrowing my brow, I stood on the ledge, examining my body for anything new. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, so what just…

A name and location popped into my head. I had never heard of this place before, nor had I ever met this person, but I knew I was needed. Taking one last look at Domitus and Agrippa, I took off in a frenzied fight, farther than I had ever been in my life. My destination: my first client.


	3. Duty

**Duty**

Name, location. Name, location. Name, location.

It became an exciting cycle every day of my life. No longer did the days drag on. No, now I was almost confused as to what day it was. The only indication I had of the day was Valentine's Day in Rome. It was a beautiful celebration, but I could not stop to enjoy it for long. I was called off to another person.

I visited places I never knew existed. I saw the world; saw people that were nothing like me – in lifestyle, in shape, in color, in size. It was amazing! And what was my job? To shoot them. With an arrow. I do not know how I knew to do that, but it worked. And the effects were aweing! The target would stop whatever they were doing and watch as someone went by. Every time, it was like I could feel their heart flutter. I saw the warmth on their cheeks and the stunned expression they wore. Sometimes I shot one person, sometimes I shot both. Either way, I never ran out of arrows.

The strange part of it was the fumes that I saw emanate from their body. It was pink and carried a lovely, sweet smell. It only came from the person I shot. I did not know what it was, but I planned to ask MiM about it when I found the chance.

I came to Rome every so often, but never close to Aelia and Domitus. Despite how busy I was, flying from one side of the earth to the other, I missed them. After a while, I really wanted a break. Just some time to relax and reflect what had happened and how one announcement changed my life forever.

It was that holiday: Saint Valentine's Day. The second I heard that, everything changed. I had found my purpose! It was more amazing than I could have imagined. Making people fall in love…How beautiful! How poetic! Nothing in my life had prepared me for such a responsibility.

One day, as I came to a stop in a grassy plain, I spotted my target. She had pure black hair and skin the color of copper. At the moment she was harvesting a yellow plant that sprouted tall from the ground. I wanted to know more about her; her people were so fascinating. I had never seen someone that looked like her in Italy. They seemed to be more popular on this side of the world, across the vast ocean.

I took position and slipped an arrow from the quiver. Strange, long boats paddled through the great lake. Men looking proud and very important rode in them. A light horn was sounded and everyone in the village turned their attention to the lake. A friend grabbed the girl's wrist and the two young girls ran to greet these warrior-like men.

I followed her quickly, waiting for the right moment. A handsome, muscular man stepped out of the boat and their eyes met. Just then, his name popped into my head, too. I thought to myself about how odd the names were on this side of the ocean and loaded an arrow. Quickly, I shot each of them. Their bodies absorbed the arrows and I watched the magic happen. She smiled shyly and he smiled right back. The pink fumes rose from their shoulders, though only I could see it. I went over to them and swirled my hand through the thin gas. It sparkled at my touch and I giggled in delight.

Then it was on to my next target. I started off in a run so I could fly off, but something caught my eye for the first time in a long time. I was so taken aback I froze in my tracks, eyes wide. The leaves on the trees, they were orange and yellow and red. Ignoring the names that flooded my head, I looked around at my surroundings. What happened to the snow? When did it stop snowing? How long was I gone? It was not even that long ago that it was Saint Valentine's Day.

Trembling, I jumped out of the way of a woman that would have gone right through me, but instead a child running the opposite way phased through my legs. I inhaled sharply, backing away rapidly. Couching briefly, I launched myself into the sky and took off flying. Zipping through the clouds. Blocking out the names listed in my head. All the way to Rome, Italy. Home.

…I landed hard on the ground of the backyard, close to a pumpkin patch. It was nighttime in this part of the world. Fallen leaves crunched under my sandaled feet as I ran to the door. It was locked and I could not get in. Backing up a few spaces, I noticed the window on the second floor was open. Shaking my head to hopefully quiet the names and locations, I flew to the open window and into the room. What I saw crushed me.

It was Domitus and Aelia's room. Aelia sat on her bed, eyeing the window that had "mysteriously" opened further. And in the corner of the room was a cradle. Inside laid a sleeping, beautiful boy about two or three. I went over to the cradle and knelt beside him, swallowing hard and trying to slow my breathing.

Aelia had had her child. And I missed it. I was not there to see him. How could I lose track of time so easily? Just then, the door burst open, startling both me and Aelia. A young girl came in squealing, running from Domitus, both of whom looked _so different_ than before. Domitus had a full-grown beard, white hair prominent amongst the dark. Aeliana jumped into her mother's arms, trying to stifle her laughter. She had grown so much.

Aelia hushed her daughter and lightly pushed her husband away. It was only now that I was staring at her so close to the candlelight that I noticed the bags under her eyes.

"Mommy, Daddy is trying to get me!" Aeliana giggled.

"I was so close, too," Domitus said dejectedly, then grinned and plopped beside his wife. "How long has Paulus been asleep?" he asked, looking through me at Paulus.

"Not very long," Aelia replied, "and if you wake him, I will kill all of you." The couple kissed and Domitus ruffled Aeliana's hair. Where Cupid and Agrippa were, I did not know. All I knew was that I could not handle the clenching in my chest. Taking one last look at Paulus, I jumped out the window and soared up to the roof. MiM sat in the sky. I could feel his smile and he welcomed me back.

"It is…nice to be back," I said weakly, rubbing my arm. "I cannot believe it, MiM. How long have I been away from them?" He informed me that it had been two years since the day I left Domitus and Agrippa at the cathedral. I winced. "That is far too long," I whispered. "There must be an easier way, MiM. I do not want to leave Aelia again."

To my dismay, the Man in the Moon said that I must.

"No," I snapped, starting to pace on the roof.

He said that it was my sworn duty to bring love to the world.

"People fell in love before I was reborn. There will still be love if I do not perform my duties," I tried to reason.

But he said that it does not work out that way all the time. I would have to make people fall in love because it was what I was born to do. People need to fall in love at the right time and only I can do that. I change lives!

I opened my mouth to argue, but he cut me off. He called me selfish. He said that he chose me for a reason – to be the keeper of Saint Valentine's Day, to wield the arrows that have the power to change people's lives forever. To be Cupid, who brought love to the world. He asked me if he was wrong that he chose me.

I frowned, looking down. I had come to a stop from my pacing, taking in MiM's words carefully. The Man in the Moon did not make mistakes. He knew me too well. How could I abandon the world for my own needs? I did not want to admit that, but I had to. All I asked was to be with Aelia and Domitus, to be with them until their lives were over. Was that so much to ask?

I sighed deeply, running my dainty fingers through my pink hair. "I apologize, MiM," I said, looking up at the round object in the black sky. "I will do what I was destined to do."

There was laughter in his voice as he thanked me, saying how he knew he could count on me. But before I went, he asked me to tell him about my adventures. When he asked that, the voices halted momentarily, granting me time to talk to my friend. Immediately excitement bubbled up inside me and I broke out into a smile.

"I cannot believe it, MiM!" I exclaimed. "The earth is _round!"_ I laughed and enjoyed the time to reflect with the Man in the Moon. Finally, a break.


	4. Cupid's Heart

**Cupid's Heart**

Wings flapping furiously, I zipped through the air to get to Rome. I was so excited, I felt as though I was going to burst! It was the afternoon and a familiar name popped into my head. When I first heard her name, I flew as fast as I could, unbelieving. But, sure enough, when I nearly crash-landed outside the house, Cupid was sweeping the porch. She was right where she was supposed to be. It was Valentine's Day and the whole town was all atwitter.

I wanted to hug her! "Cupid!" I exclaimed, bouncing all around her. "Congratulations, young lady! You will not believe what I have in store for you! You just wait right there and he should be here soon." I leapt into the air and searched the street both ways. I could not believe it! Cupid – Aelia's daughter – was about to have her first crush. It had been nearly a year since I had seen the family. The only time I even remotely visited them when a young boy had a crush on Aeliana. But actually being able to shoot one of them with an arrow? I could not have been more ecstatic.

I felt the boy's presence was nearing and spotted him coming down the way in a caravan. Breaking out in a grin, I dropped to the floor beside her. "Here he comes, here he comes!" I chittered. I do not know why I could not contain my excitement for Cupid. It was the first time Cupid had feelings for anyone. I knew she did not care for any of the boys she met, which was why it was perfect for her to fall for the newcomer.

I saw the caravan approaching down the street, so I eagerly loaded my bow with an arrow. The boy about her age sat in the front beside a man I assumed was his father. He was admiring the new town, speaking rapidly. When Cupid looked up and noticed the horse-pulled wagon, she stared on, curious. He neared even closer. My heart leapt when his name appeared in my head. They would fall for one another! Yes!

I shifted my weight from foot to foot. _Wait for it…_ I suppressed my itching fingers. _Wait for it…_ Both eyes open, stance perfect, grip strong. _Now!_ Leaping into the air, I pulled back and fired. The arrow whizzed through the air and pierced Cupid's heart. Without missing a beat, I loaded another arrow and shot the boy – Fulvio – as well. Their eyes locked and Cupid's cheeks flushed. Fulvio smiled. The pink fumes radiated from their person and I acted quickly.

I reached inside the satchel at my hip and pulled out two vials. MiM told me what the fumes were. Feelings, I decided to call them. As Cupid, it was my job to not only make people fall in love, but also collect their Feelings. If two people who were meant to be together ever broke up, all I would have to do is go back to them and pour the gas on them. Once that was accomplished, they would remember their feelings for that person and right their wrong. MiM gave the satchel to me. It was magical; it would never get heavy or run out of vials or space for me. All I had to do was open the pouch and it would produce the vials I needed and store the ones prepared.

And now Cupid's Feelings were mine to hold. After collecting the feelings in their rightful place, I followed Cupid inside. She hurried to her room, but I wanted to see what Domitus and Aelia were doing while their daughter had her first love. To my surprise, neither of them was there. Aeliana came out of her room and knocked on Cupid's door.

"What do you want, Aeliana?" Cupid snapped on the other side.

"Cupid," the younger sister whined, "I am bored. Agrippa is still working and Mother and Father are not back from the church. I want for you to play with me." After a while, Cupid agreed and the two sisters spent time with one another. I stood at the top of the stairs, curious, ignoring the names that pestered my mind. What were Aelia and Domitus doing at church? It was not the day to be there, and if it was, they would have taken the children. It was Valentine's Day; a day to be with one another. If they wanted to be alone, then why…?

I stopped myself short, eyes widening and jaw dropping. How could I be so ignorant?! Going through Aelia's room and out her window, I swooped through the air. Not long later, I came to a touchdown atop a familiar hill. The old church was still abandoned. A newly decorated cross protruded out of the ground. Aelia and Domitus sat by in one another's arms. They spoke softly to one another.

February 14th. Why had I never realized? It was ironic, really. Valentine's Day was the day I died. Is this what they do every year? Instead of loving one another, do my best friends mourn the loss of the woman who gave her life for them? Three years I had gone without the slightest thought of the date February 14th. Yet for sixteen years, Aelia and Domitus could not forget it. It haunted them, my act of selflessness. I knew before Valentine's Day that they would visit my grave, but afterwards, I just became so busy.

I never thought, though, that instead of celebrating the holiday, they would spend their time grieving. Swallowing hard, I went over to them. Though names and locations of those who needed me flooded my head, I ignored them the best I could. MiM had warned me once before that I had to stay focused on my duties. But how could I? Especially at a time like this. I sat beside Domitus, bringing my knees to my chest.

Of course they did not know I was there, so they continued in their hushed conversation. Aelia was telling him the story of the time when we were children and we accidentally broke her father's vase. Her smile was a sad one as she recalled to her husband how much trouble we had gotten in. I said nothing to them, and instead listened to the story I already knew about. How many times had she told this story already? Either way, it did not matter. Domitus was a good listener, and never interrupted her.

That is what I liked about Domitus. He was handsome; he was kind; hard-working, loving, and smart. He was perfect for Aelia. She had defied her father to be with him. My father never wanted me to do anything I did not want to, so he never chose a husband for me. For that, I am glad. That man would have been very disappointed.

I stayed with Aelia and Domitus for hours until they got tired and decided to go home. Aelia kissed her fingers and touched my cross before heading off. Domitus stared at the gravesite for a long while before hurrying after his wife. Behind me, the moon began to rise. I could practically _feel_ the disappointed look MiM was giving me. I turned to face him, frowning.

"I am sorry," I said after a few moments.

MiM said he that forgave me. That he understood what I was going through. He said it would take a long time, but I would get used to it. He said that he would be by my side every step of the way. Hearing that made me smile. Even if I lost the world, I would always have the moon, and that was okay with me.

…

My excitement for Cupid was short-lived. I was called back to Rome that summer. Back to Domitus's home. But the call was not for anyone that lived there. When I landed in the backyard, I carefully opened the back door and snuck inside. The entire family was gathered in the living room, but another family was there as well. There was a father and a little girl about the age of Aeliana. I recognized the man as Domitus's friend. What on earth could be going on?

I stood beside Agrippa, who stood tall and proud. His expression was oddly stern, his fists clenched. The whole family looked expectant. They were in the middle of a conversation when a woman who was spitting image of the girl came in. "He is almost here," she announced. Domitus smiled. Cupid shifted from foot to foot. Agrippa looked like he was going to punch something.

I felt the boy's presence and loaded an arrow. A few moments later, the door opened and I fired the arrow immediately. The boy – handsome, muscular – stood in the doorway and locked eyes with Cupid. As he quickly averted his attention to his family, I jumped forward and collected his Feelings in a vial with his name on it. Another name popped into my head, but I was curious as to just exactly was going on over here in my friends' lives.

"Ah! Julius!" Domitus exclaimed. "We have been waiting for you, boy."

"Yes," said the boy almost timidly, "my father left me a note that said to meet him here." His blue eyes roamed the room, examining each person inside. "What is going on?"

Julius's father clapped him on the back. "My son, it has been decided," he declared. "Domitus feels it is time for Cupid to marry, and we have chosen _you_ to be her groom."

"_What?!"_ I boomed. Of course no one heard me. Cupid gave a small bow and Julius smiled. I turned to Domitus. "Domitus, are you insane? Do you not know that your daughter is in love with another man? How could you _choose_ a husband for her when you know Aelia broke from her father because of it?"

My rampage went unheard. Julius stepped forward. I foolishly tried to block Cupid's way. I knew that she still had feelings for Fulvio; I would not stand for this. Julius went right through me, though. I shuddered, clutching myself. Trembling as I turned, I glared at the tall man as he took Cupid's hand and kissed it.

"It is an honor to have been chosen for such a beautiful woman," he said smoothly. Cupid blushed but still her name did not appear in my mind. She did not love him; did not even have the slightest feelings for him.

My eyes flickered to Agrippa who glowered even worse than I. Cupid said that she is also happy to have him as a fiancé. Growling loudly, her brother spun on his heel and strode out of the room, leaving everyone confused. I followed after Agrippa who stormed to his room. I had searched my memory for Julius and remembered the many girls in town who had feelings for him. There were many, and I did not like those numbers.

"Agrippa," I tried, "you see it, do you not? Julius is not right for Cupid. She does not love him and he will only break her heart. Stand up for your older sister! Do not just walk away. Protect her!"

The young man shut himself in his room. I stood before his doorway, rage boiling in my blood. I _hated_ being invisible. I could not do anything. If I were there, I would be able to protest. This was not like Domitus. He was not being the sensible, caring man I once knew. Conversation started up downstairs and all seemed well. Sighing deeply, I went downstairs once more and out the back door. I still had a job to do. But there was no doubt in my mind that I would continue to check in on Cupid and see how she was doing. All I could do was hope for the day when her name rang loud in my ears and told me _Yes! She does love him! All is well!_

Years came. And years passed. And her name never appeared in my mind again.


	5. Change

**Change**

It felt like a year. Maybe two. It really did. That, it turned out, was not the case. It was ten years, in fact. Ten long years for mortals. Ten long, grueling years for Cupid. I could not be there for her wedding or for the first years of her married life. I had missed so much. One would think I would become used to that. In those ten years, I had been everywhere, it seemed. I had seen the wonders of the world. Met people that became famous for their works. The only thing I had not done was meet a spirit like myself. When I found the time, I began to wonder.

_I cannot be the only one out there,_ I thought one day as I took a break in a field beside a man with odd eyes and dark hair. He wrote poems for the woman he had recently fallen in love with. It was truly romantic. _There are other holidays out there, such as Christmas and Easter. Are the people I had only dreamt of as a child real too? Leprechauns, Saint Nicholas, the Easter Bunny. _Have they been hiding all these years? Do they know I exist, if in fact _they_ exist? I wanted to know these answers, but I had not found the time. I asked MiM when I remembered and I found the chance, but he remained as cryptic as ever.

In time, he said, I will know.

I was tired of waiting! I was tired of not knowing the truth. All I wanted was some company. To know that MiM would not be the only one to realize I am here, that I am real. Sure, years passed right under my nose and I did not know it, but it did not feel that way to me. Would I have to endure a millennia before I received the answers I desired?

In the ten years I brooded about this, my heart became darker. Although I found it hard to actually _hate_ him, I did my best to feel despisement. It was his fault I had returned from the grave when I did not want to. It was his fault I found myself further and further away from my friends. It was his fault I could not have the answers I longed for. And it was his fault I hardly ever caught a break! The last time I spoke to him, we argued. MiM, of course, was calm and did not raise his voice, but I could not contain my ire.

"Just a few days – a week at most – to rid myself of this curse," I begged, fists clenched at my sides. "This keeper of Valentine's Day occupation is beginning to sicken me."

MiM apologized, but I did not feel that he meant it. He gently told me that there was no getting out of my destiny. He brought me back for a reason. All I had to do was be Cupid and everything would get easier in time.

"That is what you have always said!" I shouted. "How long must I suffer? You do not understand the pain I endure, MiM. I am lonely; I am exhausted; I am despondent with such a great responsibility." I felt like crying, but I did not want to.

The Man in the Moon remained silent, as if he had left me. Whether he was mulling over our conversation or simply weary of speaking to me, I did not know. My heart clenched and I began to cry. I had not spoken to him again for decades.

It was a mistake, though. After a while, my anger soothed and I felt chipper again. But undoubtedly, I felt more alone than I had before. Now I had no one to speak to, even though I was not angry anymore. That is what I found out about myself when I was reborn. Hatred was not a feeling I knew of. I grew upset, yes, and no doubt I knew sadness, but the most of my emotions were joy and love.

This instance was the only period of time in my life that I felt genuinely angry at the world. Because of the low I had fallen into, I became interested in tragic romances. It was my favorite kind of love to produce. Though I could only occasionally glance from the sidelines, I knew the drama that came from tragic romances. It was more entertaining than seeing a happily ever after like in the stories I read. Somehow, a darker part of me could not turn away from a heroic death in the arms of your lover. I suppose it was ironic: the fact that I enjoyed situations like this when I lived it, too. Had I not died for love?

Perhaps that realization is what ameliorated my abhor for MiM. I promised myself we would speak again someday, but for the time being, I just wanted my time for peace before I actually thought about my life again.

So, love and tragedy were my routine for a long time. The only time I was able to see the family was when Aeliana had a crush. From what I saw, she was getting so big. I wondered what the rest of the family was like. Ten years for mortals was just a year and a half for me. Which is why when I _finally_ decided it was time for a break and I had to visit them, I was shocked at all the change.

Aelia and Domitus had aged a lot and it showed. Paulus was just a baby when I last saw him. It was baffling to see how much he had grown. He was not yet a teenager, but he was taller for a boy his age. Aeliana was older than him, though, and I knew it would not be long before Domitus chose a husband for her, too. She was beautiful, just like her mother and sister. Whatever man Domitus chose would kill to have a bride like her.

The older children were harder to find. Agrippa had moved out shortly after Cupid did. He moved to the other side of town, closer to his job. There was a woman who lived just next door whom I had shot not long ago. She was in love with Agrippa, but he was too focused on his career to notice women. Cupid moved even further than Agrippa. I learned that it was not her will to leave her family, but Julius had complete control over her life. I visited her for a short time and already I learned much about their relationship.

She had two children and they were trying for more. Julius was abusive to both his wife and his lovely daughters. This was one tragic romance I was not interested in. Seeing Julius hurt Cupid infuriated me. I wished I could take him down a notch. Cupid was just a defenseless girl; she did not even know how to fight. With my father bringing me up much like a boy, I was sure I was tougher than Julius thought he was. But, as a spirit, I was powerless over Cupid's life.

Or so I thought.

I visited again and again over the following years until I hatched up a plan. It took a while for me to catch Julius at the right time, but I caught him. He was taking his daughters to play in a meadow with other children. It was there that I decided to test if I could play with people – if I could stray from destiny and make my own. A woman was also there. A widow who enjoyed watching children she could not have. I thought she deserved to be happy again, like Cupid.

I waited for just the right time to strike. Calculate when they would cross paths. And fire! I shot the woman and I shot Julius, hoping my plan would work. When Feelings began to emanate from both their bodies and they held each other's stare, I leapt into the air.

"Yes!" I shouted, doing a flip and then landing on my feet beside Julius. Crossed my arms and smirked. "Well, Julius, it was nice knowing you," I said mockingly, collecting his Feelings. "I suppose I will not have to worry about Cupid anymore, hm? Considering you will not be around to bother her any longer!"

After collecting the woman's Feelings, I stored them away in my pouch. I had been ignoring the calls of duty all day, so bidding adieu to Julius forever, I flew off to continue my work.

* * *

It was a mistake. It was a mistake and I should have known it. But I thought it would help Cupid! I was so sure Julius would leave her, and everyone would be happy. That was not the case at all. In fact, it was the opposite. Julius and the widow were not meant to be in love, so their relationship was complicated. They felt so much attraction for one another, but did not know why. So now, not only was Julius beating Cupid, he was also cheating on her.

He made it obvious, but Cupid could not do anything. She did not want to tell her father because she felt that he would not do anything about it. It was not like they could stop being married. So Cupid lived out her days, even more miserable than ever. Julius was confused about his feelings, but he would never leave her alone. Cupid's pain was because of me.

Domitus chose Aeliana's husband for her, and thankfully she fell in love with him. I was so relieved for that because after the incident with Cupid, I was terrified. I did not want what happened to Cupid to happen to Aeliana. I might be tempted to interfere again, and that, I learned, only led to trouble.

After Aeliana fell in love with her new husband, I stayed away from the family. I could not face them again after what I did. And though I did not want to, I forced myself to stay away for as long as I could. Eventually I lost track of time again. With no one to keep me company, I began to feel small and insignificant, despite my importance. I hoped my quarrel with MiM did not last much longer. But, like with the family, I was afraid. I did not want MiM to be upset with me anymore, but I did not know how to get him to be on my side again. How could I just start up a conversation after all these years?

I did not know how many years it had been for humans, but for me, it felt like five years. Five long years with not much to highlight. There were a few beautiful romances I witness. And I even heard my name murmured different places. Most who mentioned me were poets. But hope as I might, no one saw me. I pondered for a long time why that was. In the end, I chalked it up to the fact that they called me _he. _So when people talk about me, they must be thinking about Cupid, the god of desire for whom I was named after.

Wonderful.

After all these years, I made my through Rome once more. It was the first time in a long time I had used my legs to get anywhere. Though my legs felt like jelly at first, I quickly got used to it and reveled in walking. I avoided going through people when I could, but the first time I did, I promised myself I would just fly. Thankfully, that did not happen, so the walk to Aelia's was enjoyable.

Because I did not want to startle anyone by opening the front door, I hurried around to the back. Someone was back there, preparing the dirt for seeds to be harvested. It was a man, but he was not familiar. He was exceptionally handsome and muscular. The man stood straight and tall, wiped his brow. His hair was dark and his eyes were light. I swear, I thought I might have been producing Feelings!

"Uncle! Uncle!" a small voice came from inside the house. Blinking, I turned just in time for a small boy to run right through me. I winced and watched him jump into the sweaty man's arms. The man laughed and held the child tightly. "Uncle Paulus, we have come to visit you!" the boy exclaimed.

I nearly fell in surprise. _Paulus?!_ But this man – he-he was grown! He was handsome! Paulus was just a young boy! My head was spinning as an older man came through the door, smiling. Paulus called the man _Agrippa_ and they began talking to each other. I had missed so many years. So many more years than before.

My heart jumped into my throat when a thought came to my mind. I rushed inside, into Aelia and Domitus's room. Sure enough, all their belongings were gone. I checked every room and it was like they were never there. All that remained of them was a beautiful portrait that hung in the living room. I felt as though I was going to collapse.

How could I miss it? Aelia, Domitus, they…they were gone. They were gone and I missed it. Their last moments. The final years of their lives. Tears brimmed my eyes and I sank to the floor. What had I done? I let my shame take over me. I let it keep me away from the only people who mattered the most to me.

I sat there and cried for an hour. Life resumed around me, but Aelia and Domitus were not a part of it.

…That night, I sat in the graveyard where my best friends were buried. Once again, I ignored the world that needed me. At the moment, I could only think of the two who had fallen without me. Honestly, I had had forgotten that they were only mortal and would die. While here I sat, forever young. Immortal. Lost in time.

A voice called my name and I looked up to the sky. There the full moon sat, watching me as he had been all these years. I swallowed hard and wiped my tears. Clutching my arms, I stood and searched for the words to say to him.

"MiM," I started, "I want to apologize. I let myself stray from Domitus and Aelia and now look where they are." I hiccupped. "I do not wish for that to happen to you, too. I should have never disrespected you in such a way. I…I do not want to be alone anymore!"

I began crying again. A breeze played with my hair and dried my tears. I felt MiM's smile shining down upon me. Bringing my eyes up to the sky, I saw a familiar sight. Golden sand filled the sky. It stretched in all directions, into people's homes. Often, as I flew through the night air, I witnessed this majestic sight. I never knew where it came from or how long it had been going on, but the sand was always there. Then MiM said…that I was never alone. I have never been alone. I will never be alone again.

The voices that sang in my head, telling me the names of those who needed me, suddenly ceased. MiM told me to find the Sandman. Follow the waves of gold and I will never be alone again.

Outstretching my wings, I cautiously flew up to the sky. In the distance, there was a mass of gold. Doing as MiM instructed, I followed the path of the sand. Excitement was bubbling in my stomach. Where could this lead? MiM said that if I followed the sand, I would not be alone anymore. My wings flapped harder, bringing me closer to my target. Feeling daring, I let my hand sift through the sand. From my touch, the sand sparkled brighter. An image of two people rose from the sand. The man and woman danced hand in hand. They were made of the same substance!

It sparkled, was brighter than the morning sun. It made me feel…safe. All my worries and woes of Domitus and Aelia were far behind me as I finally came to a stop atop a cloud of sand. At the center, a small man stood, waving his hands, sending out the sand to different homes. He was stout and his hair spiked in different directions. His clothes seemed to be made of the same sandy material. When he noticed there was a stranger on the cloud, he turned and gave me a great smile, waving. His eyes were the color of sap. Warmth emanated from him. I felt at home.

Tears sprang to my eyes. Tears of happiness, of relief. He could see me. This man that I had only heard of as a child, could see me! He was the Sandman, bringer of good dreams to all the children of the world. He was an immortal just like me.

**A/N:**** Hello, all! :D Man, I love this story. I also love all you who have favorited/followed, and **_**especially**_** my only reviewer so far, Xaeria! But even if you haven't reviewed, favorited, followed, or anything, I keep track of how many people actually read this and that's what keeps me going. I say that as long as there's one person out there reading, I won't stop. :3**

**So! I'm sorry it took so long to get to the actual characters that take up the majority of the story. I just really didn't want to rush into anything. I wanted to take things slow and show you more about her first years and how she coped with being a new spirit. I feel you get to know her better now. If that is what is putting off a lot of you – that it took five friggin' chapters to meet an important character – I apologize!**

**Anyway, the next chapter is on its way! So stay tuned and stay shiny. Thank you for reading! n w n**


	6. Friends

**Friends**

The Sandman allowed me to go with him on his trip around the world. I sat back on his cloud of dreamsand, marveling at the sights he bestowed to the sleeping children of the world. I could not believe I had not met him before! I had seen his dreamsand streak the night sky many times, but I just did not ever bother to find out who was behind it or what exactly it was. I promised myself I would never make a mistake like that again. Sandman proved to be interesting.

First of all, he does not talk. Instead he spoke with dreamsand images that appeared over his head. It was hard to decipher sometimes, especially when he was talking fast. "I will get used to it one day," I told him, smiling. The small man nodded in agreement. He was adorable! I wished I could hug him, but I did not want him to think that I was creepy.

When I first introduced myself as Cupid, keeper of Valentine's Day, he was confused. He tilted his head, blinking, and the symbol of the god Mars appeared over his head in dreamsand. I wanted to slap my forehead, but that would have been rude. So I forced a smile and shook my head. "Ah, no," I said. "Contrary to popular belief, I am female."

The Sandman held up his hands in defense and gave an apologetic smile. When I asked if there were others like us, he nodded rapidly. Images flashed over his head faster than I could read, though I thought I caught a picture of a tooth and a book. "Whoa, whoa!" I exclaimed, raising my hands. "Slow down. Are they busy? Can I meet them?"

The Sandman shook his head and pointed in a direction I thought was north. I stood and stared off into the distance as if I could just see the others like me, waiting for me with open arms. I wanted to know more about what I was going to get myself into. Who would I find? When would I know when to stop? But the Sandman was not exactly the right person to ask. The most I could do was follow the direction his stubby finger pointed and hope I would find the answers on my own.

However, that would wait. I enjoyed spending time with the Sandman. I had a million questions for him and when he answered, I found it to be like a game. The pictures over his head were simple sometimes and confusing other times. Regardless, I got to actually spend time with someone for the first time in a long time. And I loved it. I loved getting to know the Sandman; I loved not being alone; I loved being able to sit back and watch what he does for a living. Seeing the dreamsand snake out into the night air, bringing wonder to the unconscious minds of the young. The dreamsand must have been the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life. And I had seen a lot of beauty.

We had made it all the way around the world, wherever it was dark and children were in need of sweet dreams. The Sandman seemed to chase the sun. I was telling him the story of a particularly interesting romance I had witnessed when the cloud we rode on began descending. I blinked and looked around, the story coming to an abrupt end. "Where are we going?" I asked him.

The cute man yawned silently and a picture appeared over his head of a castle. I squinted at the quickly vanishing picture and left the question unspoken. Our destination was indeed a castle. A _sand_castle. On a majestic, secluded island in the middle of the ocean. The sandcastle that stood tall and proud was made of dreamsand. The cloud disappeared under our feet as we neared the ground. I spread my wings to glide down to a gentle stop. The Sandman also drifted to the ground gracefully. He suddenly looked very tired, but he still smiled and gestured for me to follow him inside.

I started to follow him eagerly. Wow! The Sandman's island! How often would I be able to visit this place? I skipped after him, but stopped short when a name and location popped into my head. I froze and turned. In the blue morning sky, the moon sat just where it was meant to be. "Are you serious right now, MiM?" I asked him. Sandman turned and looked back at me.

MiM did not reply. I knew what the answer was. My fun was all over. I was still curious though; what was it like inside the sandcastle? All I could do was hope that I would get a chance one day to come back and see my new friend again. I sighed deeply and looked to Sandman. "I am sorry," I said. "I must go to my duty now. Perhaps another time?"

The small man nodded and yawned once more. I assumed that he was going to sleep and I had to smile. Just because I did not feel lethargy did not mean the Sandman did not sleep. "Good night, Sandman," I said, trying to hide my disappointment. He waved and went inside the castle. I took one last glance behind me at the magnificent castle, then crouched low and propelled myself into the sky. I had had my fun with the hours I spent with Sandman. Now it was back to work.

…

It was over the following years that life got better for me. I saw Sandman often. Whenever I flew at night, there was always dreamsand to remind me that I was not alone. Sandman would always be there for me. Just like MiM. After repairing the bond I nearly severed, he became my best friend again. With Aelia and Domitus gone, I was sure I would be even lonelier than before. But MiM knew just what to say. He was there for me. And every now and again when I just wanted to take the time to mourn, he gave me a break to either be by myself or be with Sandman.

Surprisingly, I found time to check up on the family Aelia and Domitus left behind. They were all growing healthy and happy. Well, a few of them. Cupid's life was cut short when Julius killed her. I could not be there for that, but I had made it to the funeral. That time was rough for me. I felt somewhat guilty for her death. I was the one who tried to intervene and make him love someone else. All that did was make him beat Cupid more. She died by his fist fueled by my confusing tampering. I would never forget that.

When she died, MiM gave me another break and said for me to go to Sandman's castle. When I did, he was waiting for me with open arms. I got sort of a tour of the palace. When we got to a beautiful, sparkling bedroom, a ball of dreamsand appeared in his hand. I was confused at first and a bit suspicious, but by the pictures above his head I understood that MiM had asked Sandman to let me sleep with good dreams.

Sleep.

I had not slept in so many decades. Had not needed to. But MiM thought that real rest and sweet dreams would do me good. So, taking a deep breath, I agreed to the idea. Needless to say, it was heavenly. The second the dreamsand hit my face, I fell unconscious. I remember the dream vividly: I was a warrior, slaying monsters and rescuing MiM and Sandy from the dark forces of the night. It was nice and fun, and cheered me up just fine.

After Cupid's death, I strayed from the family, popping in only occasionally to see what was going on. But with my best friends gone and Cupid's death weighting on my shoulders, I felt detached. I did not want to drabble with their lives any more than I had to.

To meet the other spirits, I had to wait about a century. Though I would have preferred to meet them sooner, I did not have a right to complain. I was just as busy as they were. The good thing about the wait was that it did not feel like a century. With Sandman to keep me company and duty to keep me constantly going, I was not aware of time.

I believe it was the year 455 when I met them. I was in a desert land, following a princess in disguise through the streets of a busy marketplace. She did not know that it was in this market that she would meet the love of her life. He was a homeless boy, a thief. It was this little detail that made me deeply intrigued with this love. A princess and a pauper? How rare! How exciting! When the time came, I artfully shot the boy first, and then the princess. Collected their Feelings. Stood back and watched. I watched the way he saved her from getting her hand cut off and led her away. Instant connection.

I sighed dreamily and leaned against an alley wall, watching the two walk side-by-side. Two more names appeared in my head and I got ready to take off. Before I could do so, a gruff voice stopped me.

"Well, there's no doubt about it now," he said. "You sure are Cupid."

My eyes widened a moment. Though his dialect was not one of those in this area, I immediately thought he was human. A human who could see me! My heart fluttered and I spun on my heel to meet…not a human at all.

It was a rabbit! A huge, 6-foot-tall rabbit! His fur was of a blue-gray shade, strange markings on his forehead and biceps. His eyes were as green as spring grass, and on his back he carried a pouch that looked to hold a boomerang or something of the same shape. He wore leather bracelets around his wrists and leather wraps around his large feet. Upon seeing my face, he nearly leapt back, his eyes incredulous.

"C-crikey! You're a woman?!" he exclaimed in shock.

My cheeks burned indignantly. "What is that supposed to mean?" I snapped. "You are a talking rabbit, for goodness sake!"

The rabbit man rolled his eyes. "Not rabbit, girl. _Pooka,_" he corrected, but that only confused me more. Before I could ask just what was going on, he held up a paw. "Just come with me. I'll explain everything at the Pole."

I blinked confusedly. "'Pole'?"

Before I knew what was what, the "Pooka" tapped his large foot on the floor twice and a hole appeared under my feet! My bow disappeared from my hand as I fell through the hole, screaming all the way through. It was a tunnel and a slide at the same time; grassy with a few flowers sprouting here and there. My nails tried to hold on to the sides to stop myself, but it was pointless with my velocity. It felt like I was sliding for a long time, though it could not have been more than two or three minutes.

Finally there was a light at the end of the tunnel and I shot up from the ground. Momentarily airborne, but I soon came crashing down to earth hard on my back. I groaned in pain and sat up, rubbing my wings which took more damage than anything else. I had no idea where I was, but it was obvious that I was inside a large building with tile floors and red walls.

"Ah, Cupid!" a deep voice exclaimed jollily. "Welcome! To the North Pole!"

_The North Pole?_ The fabled place where Santa Claus is said to reside?! I turned swiftly on my knees to face the voice behind me. I could not believe what I saw. The Pooka had already arrived and stood beside the man who spoke. He was a large, broad man wearing a red shirt, black pants, boots, and a red sash around his waist. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up, revealing intricate tattoos on each forearm, one reading NAUGHTY and the other reading NICE. His cheeks were rosy and he sported a long white beard and mustache. His eyes were bright blue, his black eyebrows thick.

Hovering beside him was a _beautiful_ woman. The only part of her that looked completely human was her face and hands. She seemed to be half-human, half-hummingbird. Her skin color was the same as mine, and she had bright, stunning violet eyes. Her body was covered in feathers, the same vibrant colors as a hummingbird. Wings which reminded me of dragonflies fluttered frantically at her back to keep her in the air. She had a broad, perfect grin. But upon seeing me, her expression grew curious.

I was not sure who she was, and the Pooka's identity had not clicked yet either. Standing beside the man I knew was Santa Claus was Sandman. Upon seeing me, he waved rapidly. I made eye-contact with Sandman, then the Pooka, then the hummingbird woman, and finally the smiling Santa Claus. We shared a moment of silence. And then Santa's smile turned and he pointed to me.

"Who are you?" he asked.

I pushed myself to my feet and dusted body free of dirt. "I am Cupid, of course," I said. "You even said my name yourself."

Santa paused a moment, squinting at me, before turning to the Pooka. The rabbit raised his hands in defense. "Hey, I saw her make two people fall in love, mate; the evidence was there! And then I saw that she was a woman and I had the same reaction."

This time, I slapped my forehead. "Why is it so hard to comprehend that I am female?" I muttered to myself. Santa turned to Sandman, asking if I was really Cupid. Sandman nodded matter-of-factly. The hummingbird woman was the only one to remain calm throughout.

She flew over to me, grabbing my hands and getting into my face. "Well, I for one am glad to see that you're a woman," she said. Her voice was bubbly and sweet. "Spending time around these guys can get really tiring." I chuckled, understanding what she meant, as I had been around Domitus for so long. "So, you don't seem to know who we are," she continued. "I'm Tooth, the Tooth Fairy."

Now it made sense! I should have guessed that she was the Tooth Fairy. Who else would she be? Then again, I never thought the fairy that collected lost teeth would look quite like this. Tooth went on to introduce me to the others. "You know Sandy." Funny, I had never thought of calling Sandman Sandy. "And this is North, also known as Santa Claus." Santa Claus held up a hand in an awkward hello. "And that's Bunny, the Easter Bunny!"

Tooth gestured to the Pooka who shifted from foot to foot. "Yeah, uh," Bunny said, "sorry about blowing it out of proportion, mate. No hard feelings?"

I chuckled breathlessly. "No, not at all," I said honestly. It was insane! The Sandman, Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, and Santa Claus all in one place! All real! It was every child's dream. Except now I was not a child. I was a 186-year-old woman and I was a spirit. If I could be brought back from the dead to be the keeper of Valentine's Day, anything could happen.

I swallowed hard and rubbed my arm nervously. "So," I said, "what brings you all here? Why congregate just to see me?"

North came forward and wrapped a strong arm around me. "We wanted to meet the person who runs the quickly spreading holiday – Valentine's Day," he explained, leading me away. Tooth, Bunny, and Sandy followed. "It has been more than one hundred years since you were born, so! Manny has decided that a celebration is well past due."

I looked up at him, confused. "'Manny'?" I asked.

"The Man in the Moon," Tooth explained.

It all made sense. Something of a late (or very early) birthday party. Or rebirth-day party? Either way, I was being celebrated. I was interacting. I was being cared for by real people. People who would always be there for me. And without further ado, the celebration at the North Pole began – with my new friends.

**A/N: Oof, so I'm doing something I did not want to do: I am going against the laws of time. Between the books and the movie, I have guesstimated the Guardians to have been around since the Dark Ages, more specifically the 1500's. Thus it's way too early for them to be here, I know. Maybe I'm just overanalyzing this. D: Do the specifics matter?**

_**YES.**_

**SHUT UP, MUSE. So, before anybody feels the need to defend what year it really is, I realize that it would be way too early for the Guardians to be Guardians. And I apologize. But the plot must move on! **

**Thanks again for reading! -Eri**


	7. Celebration

**Celebration**

The party was a blast! I could not remember a time when I was so happy before, not even in my human life. I spent time with the "Guardians" and got to know each of them. I learned that the four of them were Chosen by Manny to guard the children of the world. So when it came to spirits, these guys were known as the Big Four. They were the top dogs. And somehow, that made me feel a little insignificant. The Guardians were important to the world; they held the lives of children everywhere in the palm of their hands.

Other than learning what a Guardian was, I also learned something very important: believers. The reason no one could see or hear me was because they did not believe in Cupid. A confusing topic considering Cupid was both my name and my title. People believed in Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman, and the Easter Bunny. Thus the Guardians could be seen. People did not, however, believe in me. Though it had been centuries, Valentine's Day was still spreading. Those who did celebrate unfortunately did not believe there was a woman who made them fall in love with just her arrows.

I asked the Australian E. Aster Bunnymund, who informed me of all this, "How long will it be until people do see me?" I sat upon a guard rail, a cup of milk in hand, as I admired the business around me. As a child, I was told that Santa's helpers, the elves, made the toys. I was sadly mistaken. The elves, it turns out, were a rambunctious lot; no taller than my calf, wearing red and a bell on their pointed hood. They made the cookies and played music and set up decorations. Or they just ran around, making a mess of things. It was _yetis_ who made the toys; yetis that were over 6 feet tall, covered in soft-looking fur. The large creatures were interesting to watch.

Bunnymund leaned against a beam across from me, arms folded across his chest. He shifted at my question. "Well, there's no way to tell, mate," he said, bringing my attention from the yetis to the Pooka. "It all depends on your popularity and how the legends of Cupid spread."

My smile slipped from my face. "So…there is the possibility of – _never_ being believed in?" I asked as my heart sank.

Toothiana flew over to me and touched my shoulder. "Now, now, Cupid! While it's possible, it's improbable. You're _Cupid_ for goodness sake! A holiday! Of course you're going to be believed in."

Tooth had a way of bringing my hopes up. I smiled once more and kicked my feet. "Just stick with us, Lovey," Bunny said. "If you never get believers, we'll always be there for ya."

With a warm heart, we went on about the party. A few hours in, the Russian Nicholas St. North led us back to where we first met. He sat me before the warm fireplace and announced that it was time for gifts. I blinked, surprised. "Presents?" I asked. "Oh, North, that is very kind, but I do not need any-"

"Bah! I insist, Cupid!" he boomed, slapping my shoulder. "We apologize we could not celebrate on your birthday, so consider this your official party."

Though I tried to contend that I did not need any presents, the Guardians did not listen. From North I received a hand-held mirror made of ice. It was cold to hold, but not unbearably so. I admired the present raptly, taking in my reflection, fingers gliding along the intricate designs on the handle and back. "It is _beautiful,_ North," I gasped, "thank you." The man was glad I liked it and pointed out that it was no ordinary mirror. While North had constructed the mirror, Manny added his own touch to it. All I had to do was say a person's name while thinking about them, and the mirror would show them to me.

When I turned to North, mouth agape, eyes incredulous, he laughed. "Go on, try it!" he encouraged.

I cleared my throat, thinking about who I wanted to see. Finally, I had it. "Show me the Man in the Moon, please," I told the mirror.

Not even two seconds later, my image rippled and the edges glowed. Then the rippling stopped and the glow died down and instead of my own reflection, I was looking at a man. He was small and round, wore a gold suit. His head was nearly bald except for a white strand of hair that stood up from his scalp shaped like a question mark. He smiled warmly and waved to me. "Hello, Cupid," he said. "I do hope you enjoy this gift."

I let out a gasp and nearly dropped the delicate object. From a skylight above us, the full moon shone brightly as if to confirm that I was indeed speaking to the real Man in the Moon. I was awe-struck! I had always thought that Manny was just the moon. I had no idea that was really a human man! "This is-this is amazing!" I stuttered. "I cannot believe it is truly you, Manny- err, MiM- err Man in the Moon or sir! I mean-!"

The small man chuckled and held up a hand. "Please, my dear girl. My name is Tsar Lunar. But you may call me Manny, preferably."

I awkwardly saluted, unable to contain my grin. "Yes, sir, Manny, sir," I said breathlessly and then began to laugh. The Guardians around me exchanged smiles. North squeezed my shoulder comfortingly and held out his hand to take the mirror. Manny's image remained. He watched on as the rest of my gifts were presented to me.

Bunny was next. He was a bit shy to hand me the red heart-shaped box, tied together with a silky pink ribbon. "I know it may not be much, Lovey," he said as I took the box excitedly. "But I made 'em myself."

I gave him a smile and unwrapped the gift carefully as to not ruin its beauty. Inside the box were assorted chocolates. The smell of them wafted to my nose and I almost drooled. "Ooh," I breathed, picking one up to examine it. I could not believe that the Pooka had made them himself.

"Bunny makes the best chocolate in the universe," North informed me.

I eagerly popped the small chocolate into my mouth. The taste and sensation was indescribable! After one taste, I could not get enough! I had never tasted anything like that in my life. It was flavorful and delicious and mouth-watering and agh! I immediately went for more chocolate, each with a different taste than the last. "My goodness, Bunny!" I exclaimed with a mouthful of chocolate. "This is the best thing I have ever tasted in my life! Thank you!"

The Pooka grinned and rolled his eyes. "Ah, it was nothin', mate," he said. "You just let me know whenever you want more." When he pointed out there were two layers of chocolate, I nearly jumped out of my skin. Because I did not want to eat them all right there, I had to control myself, so I put the box back together regretfully and set it on my lap.

Next was Sandy's present. The silent man came over to me and handed me an hourglass. The designs on it were beautiful, but what was most captivating was the sand inside. It was dreamsand. It sparkled and glowed like fireflies, entrancing me. Amidst my trance, I noticed there was a button on the top of the hourglass. I looked to Sandy questioningly and he nodded excitedly. Carefully, I pressed the blue button. It opened apart and a holographic image appeared. They were numbers. It had the date and exact time, counting down the seconds. The blue numbers sparkled like dreamsand. When I dared to touch it curiously, it was as though the numbers were wisps of smoke.

No longer would I ever forget what year or time it was. "Wow," I exhaled, watching time tick away. The sand inside the hourglass never filled or ran out. "Sandy, this is amazing! I needed something like this. Thank you so much!"

Sandy nodded and pictures appeared over his head rapidly. It looked like a clock, then an old man with a staff, then of Sandy, then shaking hands, and I could not keep up with the rest. I glanced at the other Guardians for help. North laughed once more and explained: "He says that Father Time helped him create this for you."

My jaw dropped again. "Father Time?" I asked, looking to Sandy. The Sandman nodded, smiling.

"His name is Ombric Shalazar," North continued. "Perhaps one day you may meet him, and Mother Goose Katherine."

I did not know what to say. There were others like us, ones that were not Guardians. I was already desperate to meet them. But there would be time for that later. My fourth and final gift was from Toothiana. Her gift was something that I would treasure for the rest of my life.

It was my memories.

When she first handed me the long, gilded container, I was not sure what to make of it. On the face of it was a picture of me when I was a child: long blonde hair, bright blue eyes, same hairstyle as I had now. I furrowed my brow, turning the beautiful vessel curiously. Inside it, something clinked against the walls. I looked up at Tooth. "This is so beautiful, Tooth," I said honestly. I tapped the flat, decorated top of the container with a perfectly manicured nail, curious as to know what was inside.

Tooth drifted down to the ground and sat on her knees in front of me. She took my hand in hers and pressed my fingers against the lid. And then, as if by magic, there was a white flash and the world began to disappear around me. My life as a child flashed before my eyes:

_My father showed me how to shoot a bow for the first time. "Good job, Cupid!" he said encouragingly. He lifted me into his arms and hugged me tightly._

_Aelia and I met Domitus. I hid shyly behind my friend. "I am Aelia and this is my friend Cupid," she introduced us._

_I climbed a tree faster than Domitus could keep up with me. "You are going to get hurt! Would you please slow down, Cupid?" he called after me._

_Aelia and Domitus sat beside me as I cried over my father's grave. It was night and we had been there all day. Aelia's hand left my shoulder. "I am sorry, Cupid," she whispered._

"_You are in a lot of trouble, Cupid!" the man scolded as he shook his fist in the air. There was a broken vase on the floor by his feet. Domitus, Aelia, and I laughed and kept running._

_Aelia stood in my alleyway, hand-in-hand with Domitus. "We are running away from my father. Please come with us, Cupid," she begged._

_I plopped down on my new bed in the home that Domitus acquired for me. "Thank you so much, Domitus!" I exclaimed. "It was no problem, Cupid, really," he said smiling._

And then the present came rushing back in an instant. I gasped and panted heavily as if I was holding my breath the whole time. Tears came to my eyes and I clasped my hand over my mouth in shock. Though I was slightly disappointed that it did not show my last moments with my friends, I did not mention it. I was barely twenty years old when I died, and I still looked it. My years of being a child was over. Those scenes before me were the most important years of my child life.

I looked up at Tooth, at a loss for words. She held my hand in hers and smiled sadly. "Much like how you collect Feelings, I collect teeth," she explained softly. "When people need to remember what's important, it's my job to bring back the most important memories of childhood stored in the lost teeth."

I swallowed hard. "And those were my memories," I stated.

The Tooth Fairy nodded. "I thought they might come in handy if you're ever feeling down." She smiled warmly. Though I did not cry, I wanted to. I lunged forward and hugged Tooth tightly. The fairy held me close. The Guardians exchanged looks and smiled softly.

It really was the best day of my life.

...After gifts were given, we celebrated more until the sun came up. North agreed to hold onto the presents until it was time for me to go. At sunrise, the content Guardians informed me that they all had to go. Tooth had shirked off her duties too long and had to return to the world to collect the lost teeth of children. Sandy also had to bring sweet dreams to the darker part of the world. Bunny did not want to leave, but he said that he had to go back to his Warren to paint eggs and keep them company. I was confused at the idea, but he said that he would show me all around his Warren another time.

Once everyone had left, it was just North and I. He said that while he should really get back to work, he was not done spending time with me. So, he took me around on a tour of his workshop. I met many yetis and got a glimpse at the fascinating toys they were working on. Once he had shown me all that the yetis did, he brought me to a special room. This room was full of weapons of different sorts – mostly different types of swords. They were interesting and deadly-looking.

North explained to me that before he was Santa Claus, he was the greatest thief in all of Russia, and he still is the greatest swordsman in the world. "I can teach you how to swordfight one day, if you'd like," he offered, but I declined. I told him that bows and arrows were more my forte. At that, he had a wonderful idea. The large man led me over to a wall where the yetis' weapons were held. They had odd swords as well, but what he wanted to show me was their bow and arrows.

The bow they would use was much taller than I was, as well as the arrows and quiver. The design on each was intriguingly different. Because of their size, I had to struggle to lift them. As I did my best to string an arrow, North set up a target at the far end of the room. After finally getting the arrow in place, I pulled back with all my might and fired. The force of the projectile sent me falling back on my butt.

North laughed loudly, holding onto his round belly. After his fit of laughter was over, he came over to me and offered me a hand. Now on my feet, I looked at the target and was surprised to see that I actually hit the bulls-eye. North picked up the bow and arrows and set them in their rightful place. "Wow. I did not expect that to work," I said, folding my arms and tilting my head.

"Ah, these bows have a mountain-to-mountain accuracy," he said flippantly. "You are a very skilled archer, Cupid. It does not surprise me that you made it." He patted my back harshly and then led me out to his office. I followed after him, keeping out of the way of the busy yetis.

North's office was beautiful. The snow and ice blended together with the architecture of the room. Toys, books, and other strange objects littered the room. To the left there was a fireplace; at the far end of the room was a large window and window seat; at the center of the room was a table where ice sculptures were crafted and carved out. I examined each book and knick-knack on his shelves. "Your entire workshop is incredible, North," I said dreamily. "Better than I ever imagined."

"Oh, thank you," he said proudly. I picked up a strange toy and examined it. It looked like a small gourd – smooth, painted to look like North. I had not seen something like it before. "That is called a _matryoshka,"_ he elucidated, gently taking it from me. I watched curiously as he pulled it apart, revealing a smaller figure beneath it. And another after that! And another and another until there was the smallest figure inside. It looked like a little baby, wrapped in all red with large blue eyes. "It is my center."

"'Center'?" I asked, looking up at him.

North nodded. "It is what I was born for," he said softly. "I live to create wonder for the world, Cupid."

I sat on the desk and observed the _matryoshka._ "It like it. 'Wonder.' It is all that you are." North and I exchanged a moment of silence and smiles. Finally he collected his toy together and set it back on the shelf. He pulled on a large red coat, trimmed with black fur, then a furry cap.

"Come!" he proclaimed. "I have one more thing to show you." I hopped off the desk and followed after him. Once again, we passed by the center of the entire workshop where there was a huge globe. Lights shined like dreamsand over each continent.

Furrowing my brow in interest, I flew up to it for the first time. It spun slowly as if it was the real Earth. "Are you all right, Cupid?" North called over to me. I flew all around the globe, examining the bright lights that littered the spherical structure.

"I am fine," I called back. "What is this thing, North? Why is this globe here glowing?" I glided down beside North who stopped to gaze at the globe. He informed me that the globe showed all of Earth. And each of the lights on it was a child who believed in the Guardians. All I could say was "Oh…" We continued to stare at it for a while before I spoke up again. "North, do you ever think that I will be a Guardian?"

He took a moment to think about it before sheepishly replying, "Well, there is no way to tell, Cupid. That is all up to Manny. I would rather not tell you yes and have it be wrong. So, all I can say is that time will tell."

Again with time and waiting. I was growing to be a very impatient person. Perhaps that Ombric Shalazar fellow would be able to help me one day. For now, I put my own worries aside and followed North.

We stepped into a circular contraption, which glided down the wall, bringing us to the lower levels of the workshop. The room was made of snow all around; yetis and elves rushed around hurriedly. To our left, two large doors swung open. Out of them came bucking and thrashing reindeer! Just like in the legends!

"Manny says that it is about time for you to get back to your duty," North explained as the reindeer came forward, pulling a large red sleigh along behind them. "So, I figured I would save this place for last." Once the sleigh was completely out, he went over to it and sat in the drivers' seat. In front of him was a globe, sparkling just like the one we had just seen. "Come, Cupid! Hop in. I shall take you to your next assignment."

Just in time, a name and location appeared in my head. I happily jumped into the back of the sleigh. Travelling through the air without my wings! Wow! What an experience! I got comfortable and told North where to go. He cracked the reigns and the reindeer took off sprinting. I jerked back and held onto the seat, laughing joyously. The yetis and elves waved goodbye and I waved back. We zoomed through tunnels, around loop-di-loops, until we finally came to the exit. The chilly morning air greeted us as the reindeer pulled us upward and into the sky.

As we went higher and higher, I let out a whoop of excitement. My hair whipped around my face until we caught air and seemed to drift gently, the reindeer pulling us along safely. I fixed my pink hair behind my ears and gazed around. I had never flown without using my wings before. It was surprisingly calming and beautiful.

"I put all of your presents inside your sack," North called over his shoulder.

"Thank you!" I shouted, clutching my bag closer to me. I looked inside and noticed that all the items fit among the vials of Feelings. The bag of course did not feel any heavier. I sighed happily and leaned back against the seats behind me. I planned to enjoy this time before I had to go back to my old ways of rushing around.

**A/N: The whole idea about Ombric being Father Time just came to me a few days ago after I finished the first and second book, and I was totally blown away. And then I found out that the Wiki for **_**Rise of the Guardians**_** says the same thing… Whoops! Oh, well! I stand firm that I completely believe that Ombric is Father Time!**

**Welp! Thanks for reading! I'll see ya next time! -Eri**


	8. The Boogeyman

**The Boogeyman**

Centuries seemed to come and go like an ephemeral kiss. Before I knew it, it was already the year 1000. During this time, I met Father Time and Mother Goose, like North said I would. They resided in an unknown town called Santoff Claussen. Father Time was a wise old wizard, but was as cryptic as Manny. Mother Goose was a kind woman who spent her time writing little stories that I learned as a child. Both were old friends of the Guardians, though they were not Guardians themselves.

Between my duties, I visited my friends regularly. Or at least, I tried to. Sandy's gift came in handy, letting me know what time it was and how long it had been since I had seen them. The more time I spent with each of the spirits, the more they rubbed off on me. By that, I mean that I began using contractions warily. It was a lot easier and made speaking a breeze. I didn't know why I hadn't thought of it before!

North allowed me to finish up a few toys three days before Christmas. Then, on that night, he took me in his sleigh and had me help him out. He used snow globes as portals to get him from point A to point B. It was a blast to have the day off to be another holiday!

Bunny often took me into his Warren to let me paint eggs with him. Before the eggs reached the surface, they had little legs to help them walk around! His Warren was the epitome of springtime: green grass, colorful butterflies, beautiful flowers. He even had rivers of paint! Some of the tulips produced colors that assisted in coloring the eggs, too. I really enjoyed spending time with Bunny, and I was glad to see that he enjoyed spending time with me, too.

When it came to Tooth and Sandy, I couldn't spend as much time with them. There wasn't much I could do to help Sandy with spreading dreams. And though I flew fast, Tooth flew even faster than I could keep up with. It was hard to help collect teeth for her. Both Sandy and Tooth were busier than North and Bunny combined, it seemed. They didn't just have to work one night a year; they, like me, worked every single day. We had a lot in common in the fact that the three of us hardly caught a break, it seemed.

Still, I wasn't complaining. I had friends now, people to talk to, people who cared for me as much as I cared for them. I glided through the years on a cloud, without a care in the world. With North's mirror, I was able to keep up with the romances I enjoyed the most without having to leave my current location. Whenever I visited Bunny, he always had chocolate for me to eat and even put some in the box he had given me so that I could take them on the road. When I found time, I liked to sit down and relive my memories. Unlike the first time, the next time I opened the box the memories were slower and more vivid. It was an irreplaceable gift, indeed.

My life was going so great that I almost forgot that there must be balance in the world. With all this light and goodness, there was bound to be evil spirits. The first time I met one was in the year 1000.

It was night. The moon was high in the sky. I was in the unnamed land where "corn" grew. Two of the copper-skinned people walked side-by-side. The woman knew that she loved him when he kissed her in the forest. I hid behind a tree, watching with a smile. After the kiss ended, they continued their walk back home before wild creatures could come. I sighed and packed away their Feelings in my pouch. A name appeared in my mind and I set off to go. A voice stopped me before I could.

"Excuse me," he said. "You wouldn't happen to be Cupid, would you?"

I turned to my right to see a man emerge from the shadows. His skin was an ash-gray; his eyes were a piercing yellow, like a wolf's. He wore a black robe. His hair was slicked back, matching his robe in color. Though his appearance should have made me think twice, I was just excited to meet someone new. Because of his skin and eye-color, I knew he wasn't human. That meant he was a spirit like me! Why hadn't the others told me about this one? Was he a newborn?

I jumped forward and landed in front of him, startling the man. I grabbed his hands and shook rapidly. "Hello, sir! Why, yes! I'm Cupid, keeper of Valentine's Day. It's so nice to meet you. What's your name? What do you do? Have you been just born? Or have you been around?" I let go of his hands quickly. "Oh, goodness, I'm sorry. I must seem so pushy. I-I'm just so happy to meet another immortal."

The man laughed, shaking his head as my cheeks flushed. As his chuckles died down, he took my hand in his, leaned down, and kissed it like a gentleman. It was only then when his hand held mine that I realized just how odd his skin color was. "It is very nice to meet you, dear Cupid. My name is Pitch Black. Though, you probably know me as the Boogeyman."

My eyes widened. The Boogeyman? I had nearly forgotten about him. I certainly didn't expect him to be real. Though just the name _Boogeyman_ gave me chills, I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and give him a chance first. Even with Manny's stern voice warning me to get out of there and stay away from him. I could barely focus on what the Man in the Moon was saying. I trusted Manny with all my heart, but I wanted to make my own decisions.

"The Boogeyman? Really?" I asked tilting my head. "That sounds interesting, Pitch. You scare children in the night, correct?" I giggled behind my hand.

Pitch Black smiled softly. "Not just that," he said, beginning to circle me. "I also bring nightmares. I do love to bring fear, especially to children."

My fingers adjusted around my bow. "That's not very nice," I mumbled. "But – I suppose it's just in your nature. Right? You were born that way."

He looked down at me curiously. "I suppose I never thought of it that way," he said. "You have a peculiar way of thinking, Cupid. I quite like that." Using one finger, he lifted my head upward to get a good look at my face in the moonlight. "You are a very beautiful woman, Cupid. Do you know this?"

My eyes widened and I shifted. "I, um, well… Um…Thank you, Pitch." I wasn't sure what to say.

Suddenly Manny called down to us. He threatened that if Pitch did not leave me alone, he would call the Guardians.

I looked from Manny to Pitch. "W-what's wrong, Manny? Pitch isn't hurting me. He's just-"

"No, no," Pitch said, raising his hands in defense. He glided back into the darkness of the forest. "It seems our time together has been cut short. For now. I shall see you another time, my dear angel."

I swallowed hard and touched my cheek which felt warm compared to my fingertips. Manny sighed, bringing my attention to him. He wearily said that I should get back to my work. And so I did.

* * *

After that encounter, I met up with Bunny in his Warren. We sat back-to-back as we painted eggs together. I told him about Pitch and how odd Manny was acting toward the man who had done me no harm, but Bunny acted as oddly as Manny did. He warned me _never_ to speak to Pitch. Pitch was evil. He couldn't be trusted; he was only trying to trick me. I didn't tell him so, but I didn't want to believe Bunny. I wanted to believe that the Boogeyman may be good. Whatever the reason was that the Guardians didn't like him…it had to a misunderstanding.

Right?

I didn't see Pitch again for 500 years. It was the early winter of 1572. I sat in the courtyard of a castle, watching a princess and her prince have a picnic under the moonlight. It was incredibly romantic. However that beautiful moment was interrupted by whispers in the dark. Bunny's voice called my name, attracting my attention to the forests beyond the castle walls. He sounded like he was in pain. I flew over the stone wall and ventured into the forest.

I followed his voice until I found a clearing. Once I stepped into the middle of it, the voice stopped. I searched around, blinking. "Bunny?" I called. "Is that you? Are you there?"

It was not. From out of the shadows, Pitch Black emerged. His expression was one of fake relief, as if he hadn't been the one calling for me. "Oh! Cupid, there you are," he said.

"Pitch…" I said, studying him warily. "What are you doing here?"

"Why, I'm here for you, dear girl," he said approaching me. Pitch held my arms and studied me. "I've missed you all these years, you know," he whispered, stroking down my pink hair.

I blushed and smiled awkwardly. "I, um, missed you, too, Pitch," I lied. Honestly I hadn't given him much more than a passing thought. His grip tightened and I almost winced.

"May I speak with you, Angel?" he asked quietly. "I've been looking for you for so long." The man brushed my hair behind my ears. I didn't know Pitch well at all, so it was weird to stand there and have him touch me as if we were such close friends.

"Um, ask away, Pitch," I said, gently pushing his hands away. He looked down at me and smiled, then circled around me. Bunny's warning to stay away from Pitch echoed in my mind. Suddenly, I didn't want to be there anymore.

Without warning, Pitch grabbed my arms and pulled my back against his chest. I took in a sharp breath. Fear and anticipation ran through me. I felt his breath on my ear as he whispered, "My, Cupid, I think I do like you indeed. That is why I came to you. I need your help, love."

I trembled as his hands slid down my arm and wrapped around my waist. The other hand tightened on my bicep. "With what?" I squeaked. "Also, could you please let me go?" I attempted to pull from his grasp, but he held me closer.

"I don't think I will, dear Cupid," he hissed in my ear. "Not until you hear my proposal."

"'Proposal'?" I asked, trying to get him to let me go.

Pitch spun me around to face him. I was slammed against a tree and pinned there. Wincing, I noticed that he seemed taller than he had before. The shadows started closing in; his eyes grew brighter; his devious grin grew wider. "I want you to join my side," he said. "Stand by me and fight against the Guardians."

My heart pounded against my chest. "W-why would I do that?" I asked. "The Guardians are my friends."

"You think so?" he chuckled. His grip loosened. "You honestly think that the _Guardians_ are your _friends?"_

He released me and stepped away, gliding away to give me distance. I stepped after him. "Of course I do," I said. "They are."

"You poor, poor girl," Pitch cooed, turning to me. "The Guardians do not care for anyone other than the Guardians and mortal children. Why, to the rest of the immortals, we are nothing to them."

My fists clenched and I narrowed my eyes at him. How dare he try to convince me of that? "You're wrong, Pitch," I growled. "The Guardians love me like I love them. They're my friends."

"Then why, pray tell, did they ignore you for that dreadful first century of your life?" I went silent. "They only started talking to you in the first place because the Man in the Moon told them to. I bet that if you weren't as beautiful as you are, or if you weren't the keeper of a holiday, they would toss you aside and leave you behind to be forgotten."

I began to tremble. I didn't like what he was saying. He was stating the things out loud that had brought me paranoia in my time of lows.

"And real friends wouldn't lie to you," he said quietly, approaching me. My red eyes bore into his intensely. "Real friends would tell you the truth: that you will never be a Guardian. That you will never be like them. Guardians protect children, live for children. What do you do? You barely give children a sideways glance."

I shook my head. "No," I whispered, "I do love children. I…I could be a Guardian."

"Oh, please," he scoffed suddenly in front of me. "How could you be a Guardian without believers?"

I gasped and took a step back, his words wounding me deeply. Suddenly he disappeared into the shadows. His voice was all around me, in my head.

"That's another thing," he pointed out. "If the Guardians really were your friends, _why_ haven't they tried to get you believers yet? If they really loved you, if they really were your friends, they would have done all they could to make sure that you were believed in."

I covered my ears. I wanted him to stop! I didn't want to hear these lies. If I listened to him, he might convince me. The Guardians were all I had. I didn't want to believe that it was all a lie. "Stop it, Pitch!" I shouted. "Please! Enough!"

Suddenly his arms wrapped around me from behind. "There, there, Angel," he whispered soothingly. "Calm down. I'm sorry you had to find out this way, but it is the truth. That is why you must join me. Unlike the Guardians, I will be there for you. And I will get you believers."

All the world went silent. Believers. Humans who could see me. If I helped Pitch, humans would see me. Would know I existed. I would be loved. I wouldn't just have to wait for the Guardians to not be busy to talk to me. I could interact with people.

"Help me take down the Guardians and spread fear to the world. And I will get you all that you have ever desired."

I opened my mouth to speak.

"_Pitch!"_

Suddenly Bunny appeared from a hole in the ground and attacked Pitch with his boomerangs. The Boogeyman evaded Bunny's attacks skillfully until he was backed into the forest's edge. His yellow eyes looked around at the danger, and then he growled.

"This isn't the last you've heard from me, Rabbit!" he vowed and sank into the darkness.

The tension in the air lifted, leaving me and Bunny panting and shaking. I collapsed to the ground, clutching myself. Regret washed over me like a wave of black, murky water.

After making sure Pitch was really gone, Bunny hopped over to me quickly. He held my shoulders and looked down at me concernedly. "Cupid. Cupid, are you all right? Did he hurt you?"

I failed to swallow down the knot in my throat. I was too shaken to respond immediately. Biting my lip, I leaned into Bunny's chest, wrapping my arms around him tightly. "Bunny…I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I almost believed him, I- I didn't…I could have-"

The Pooka pulled me closer to him and stroked my hair. "I know…I know… It's all right now, love." He paused a moment to look up to the moon before deciding. "Come on. Let's get to the Pole." He helped me stand on my feet, and then tapped the ground beneath us. He released me just in time for me to go sliding down the tunnel. The Pooka was sprinting after me…

…Pitch Black, it turned out, was the whole reason Manny created the Guardians. Pitch was once a proud general of the universe, but then creatures called Fearlings overtook him. They drove him mad, turned him into a monster that he wasn't. Pitch was determined to spread fear and darkness across the universe. So, Manny brought about the Guardians to fight his fear. Pitch and his Fearlings were extremely dangerous. I was lucky that Pitch didn't try to physically hurt me. The Guardians defeated him many centuries ago, but now it seemed that he was back again to wreak terror.

I sat by the fireplace in the North Pole, wrapped in a red blanket, provided by the elves. They also gave me a mug of hot chocolate. I thanked them, but the small men didn't leave. Instead, they curled up by my feet, hugging my calves. I thought it a little creepy, but I didn't tell them so. Bunny sat by my side, allowing me to lean against him. North and Sandy stood before us while Tooth flittered about worriedly. The Guardians finished telling me the story of Pitch Black and now were in a heated argument of what to do.

Bunny wanted to immediately go after Pitch and make him pay for attacking me, but North said that that wouldn't be wise. While he wanted revenge on Pitch as well, the Guardians' job was to protect the children of the world. They could not waste time and search the globe to find Pitch unless he was out to hurt the children.

That's when I had to speak up. The entire time, I hadn't spoken; I was still too shaken. But now that I knew that they would only stop Pitch for the sake of children, I had to let them know. "I think that you should go after Pitch. Now." All attention turned my way. I set down the warm mug and rubbed my tired eyes. "Pitch came to me because he wanted my alliance. He wanted me to help defeat you all so that he could spread fear around the world. He tried to convince me by saying that – you all weren't really my friends. And that he would get me believers."

I shook my head. "Honestly, I almost believed him," I admitted, sniffling. Bunny wrapped his arm around me, listening intently. "I shouldn't have. I'm sorry. If Bunnymund hadn't come, I…I don't know what I would have done."

The Guardians exchanged a cautious glance. I immediately regretted revealing that last part. Did they not trust me anymore? Did they think that I was easily swayed and thus I was dangerous?

But then Tooth spoke up. She fluttered down to kneel in front of me and take my hand. "Cupid, I'm sorry this happened to you," she said. "We understand how convincing Pitch can sound. It wasn't your fault; I can't imagine what he told you. Whatever it was, it was just a lie. We love you and you are very dear to us." My eyes met her beautiful shining violet ones. She smiled softly, squeezing my hand, and then looked up to our friends. "Which is why we are going after Pitch. We will stop him, no matter what it takes."

Bunny smirked and stood. "Good idea, Tooth," he said. "It's personal now."

"I will get my swords," North proclaimed. "Everyone, get to the sleigh. Manny, I hope you do not mind that we are taking matters into our own hands once more."

Manny agreed that it was the right thing to do.

I stood, looking at each of them expectantly. "Do not worry, Cupid," North said. "We will take care of Pitch. You go on about your duties and leave the Boogeyman to us."

Sandy touched my shoulder. Tooth hugged me. North nodded. And Bunny saluted. None of them said what I wanted them to. The Big Four turned and left the room. "Bunny!" I called after him, hurrying over to the Pooka. He stopped in his tracks and turned to me. "Wait; please don't leave me behind like this. Please. What can I do? I want to help fight Pitch, too!"

I couldn't let Pitch get away with hurting me like that. He needed to pay for what he'd done to me, and I wanted to be the one to do it. But Bunnymund grew serious and grabbed my shoulders, looking me dead in the eye. His eyes which were as green as the leaves in summer bore into my ruby-red ones. "Now listen here, mate," he said lowly, "I don't wanna see you hurt again. I'll open a portal to my Warren. Promise me that you won't come out until I say it's okay."

"But, Bunny, even if you don't let me go, I still have a job to do," I reasoned. "I won't let Pitch get me again; I'll be safe."

"No. I can't take the risk of you coming, or staying out in public," he said, shaking his head. "Please. Just do this for me?" The rabbit man took me into his arms once again. His fur was warm and unbelievably soft. In Aster's arms, I felt safe, like no Fearling of Pitch's could ever hurt me. I knew that Bunnymund only wanted me safe. Who was I to deny him the comfort? He was the one who was about to have the fight of his life, not me.

I sighed. "Just…be careful," I whispered into his chest. "We're immortal, but still don't push yourself too hard."

Bunny tensed a moment. He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped himself and sighed deeply. "No problem, Lovey." He kissed the top of my head, and then held me at arm's length. Bunny had never kissed me before. Though I was confused, I didn't say anything about it. "I'll see you soon." Tapping his foot twice, he took a step back and a portal appeared between us on the floor. I sighed deeply, gave him one last glance, and jumped in.


	9. Reunions and Holidays

**Reunions and Holidays**

Months passed with no word from anyone. Not even the moon. In the underground warren, there was no sky. Just me, spring, and eggs. Which wasn't as bad as it sounds, actually.

I was safe. Surrounded by the beauty of nature. Never lonesome because I had the odd eggs to keep me company. When I first arrived, the little ones surrounded around my legs welcomingly. The huge stone eggs jumped around excitedly, nearly knocking me off my feet. I patted them and explained why I was there. After that, I set off to work.

I spent the months painting and exploring, and then painting and exploring some more. My favorite spot was where Bunny and I used to sit most often, by a small pink waterfall. One day, I just sat there, watching the paint pour. I was lost in thought, thinking about what the Guardians could be doing. Were they fighting? Were they still searching for Pitch? How would this battle end, this war? We couldn't die. That's what settles most wars. Death. How many more people you could kill. What determined the end of this? Perhaps it would never end.

I sighed deeply, bringing my legs to my chest. My thoughts wandered from one Guardian to the next. North, so valiant with his scimitars. Sandy, whipping about with dreamsand. Tooth, zipping through the air, slicing with her sharp wings. And then Bunny with his martial arts and boomerangs. I thought about Bunny and all he's done for me.

He was my friend. He made sure I was happy. Made sure I was safe. When he kissed my head, what did that mean? Was it a friendly kiss? A spur-of-the-moment kiss? A fatherly kiss? Should I even be thinking about it this much? It was just a kiss on the head. Anywhere else and I should have been thinking about it. But on the head? It was nothing.

Still. I couldn't help but ponder about the topic. It wasn't like I had anything better to do. How did I feel about Bunny? There was no doubt about the answer: he was my best friend, nothing more, nothing less. The thought of being with him never crossed my mind. He's a rabbit for goodness sake!

Well, I knew my feelings for Bunny. How did he feel about me? Did the kiss mean something to him? Was I truly overanalyzing all this?! He never did anything that would suggest he felt differently, except that blasted kiss. I would find out one day, but until then I wouldn't mention it. I knew I didn't want to be anything more than friends with him. That's all that mattered.

I sighed loudly, tossing my head back. "This is agonizing!" I shouted. Two sentinel eggs approached cautiously, either curious or concerned. Either way, I stood and placed a hand on one of them. "I'm sorry. I'm just worried about Aster." Both eggs leaned down as if to hang their heads. I smiled weakly. "I know. I miss him too." Sighing once more, I flew up to the top of one and sat on its head. "Do you want to go exploring?"

The stone eggs jumped up and down then carried me around the Warren once more for another exploration.

* * *

It was just another day. I lay sprawled out in a flowerbed, humming Mother Goose songs. I had pulled the skirt of my long toga over my knees and tied it there. A shorter dress was nice. Perhaps one day I would get one. Perhaps.

"_All the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put Humpty together again,"_ I sang quietly. I thought of the darkness of the song. It would be wise for Katherine to change the lyrics up a bit, though I doubted she would. Kids wouldn't understand the true meaning of the song until they were older, when they could appreciate the words.

A red and black butterfly fluttered over and landed on my nose. I carefully opened one eye and watched the beautiful little bug. Its wings paled in comparison of Tooth's.

Suddenly the ground began to shake. Startled, the little butterfly flew away. I sat up quickly. Pitch. Was he finally attacking the Warren? The vibrations were coming from the main tunnel. With lightning speed, I flew there, pearl bow appearing in my hand. What I found was not Pitch.

The vibrations came from the many bouncing sentinel eggs. A crowd of them surrounded the entrance, though nothing was there. Confused, I landed on top of one, halting its jumping. "Whoa, whoa! Guys, what's going on?"

Naturally, none answered. Instead, my answer came in the form of a Pooka, who bolted out of the tunnel, skidding to a stop. He frantically looked around. "Cupid! Cupid, I'm back!"

My heart stopped as my eyes widened. The bow disappeared from my hand in white sparkles. Joy overcame my every being. I squealed loudly, bringing Bunnymund's attention upward. I didn't let him say a word before I tackled him to the ground. Hugging him as tightly as I could, I snuggled against the rabbit. "Oh, Bunny, Bunny, Bunny! You're back! You're back! I missed you so much! I did! I can't believe you're back!"

The Pooka laughed and held me gently. "Man, Lovey, I missed ya, too," he said, stroking my hair. "It's been way too long, ya know?" As he sat up, he never released me. I was grinning uncontrollably and I felt like I just wanted to kiss him all over. Though it had only been months, it felt like years. Bunny took a moment to take me in and then smiled. "Guess what?" he said quietly.

"What?" I leaned forward anxiously.

"It's over. Pitch is gone."

"Oh, Bunny, do you mean it?!" I exclaimed, feeling a bit childish for the way it came out.

He laughed and nodded. "You bet, mate!" he said. And I swore I heard him mutter, "For now…"

I pretended like I didn't hear and hugged him again instead. "I'm so glad! You have to tell me all about it! Please, what happened?"

As gently as possible, Bunny pulled me off of him. Standing, he headed off to a nearby flowerbed. "Maybe later, alright? I'm all tuckered out," he said and curled up amongst the flowers. His eyes slowly drifted shut. "You're free to go, if you'd like. Thanks for staying outta trouble."

I smiled and sat beside him. "No problem," I said, petting his fur. "I think I'll stay a little while."

…Bunny slept for a long time. A day and a half later, when he awoke, I was still there by his side. He was really grateful for that. We took a walk together so he could stretch out his sore muscles. As we walked, he told me all about the battle and how brave everyone was. He prided himself in describing how frightened Pitch really was. He promised that the Boogeyman would never get me again. When I asked what happened to him, Bunny said that they banished him to his own lair. We wouldn't be seeing him again for a long, long time.

I breathed a sigh of relief. "For a second, I thought you were going to tell me you actually killed him," I chortled. Bunny looked at me, going quiet. I looked down at my sandals. "That's what bothered me a lot. I know we can't die, but something kept nagging at me that…maybe we can."

At that, Bunny stopped walking. I turned to him, dread filling me inside. "Look, Lovey, when you mentioned this at the Pole, I was going to tell you, but I didn't want ya to worry." I knew where this was going. "We're not immortal," he said slowly. "We're immortal in the sense that we never age. But it is entirely possible for us to die."

We went quiet a moment. Then I exploded, _"Bunny!"_

"I didn't want you to freak out!" he countered. "If I had told you that then, you would never have let us leave without ya. It was better that you stayed!"

Out of nowhere, I punched his arm. "Don't you ever do that again, you understand?" I barked. The Pooka rubbed his arm, but I knew that he was so much stronger than me that it didn't affect him much. "Do you know what I would have done if one of you never came back? I-_I_ don't even know what I would have done!" Bunny watched me pace about, ranting, and didn't say a word. Not until I noticed he was just standing there. "What?" I snapped.

A soft smile spread across his face and he took me into his arms once more. "You're too sweet, ya know that, sheila?"

I only pouted and buried my face in his shoulder.

* * *

Things were kind of different after that. Every one of us was extremely busy. Each Guardian, except Sandy, spent more time in their homes. North only came out on Christmas; Bunny only came out on Easter. Tooth never came out at all. With this thing she called a "relic," she was able to make thousands of mini duplicates of herself. She stayed in the Tooth Palace, where she directed the cute tooth fairies to each house to collect the teeth for her. It was a more efficient way to get things done than before. Tooth seemed to like it okay, staying inside her palace, having the hummingbird-looking fairies do the work.

Problem was that after she created the tooth fairies, she was always so busy. Whenever I decided to visit, she didn't have much time to spend with me, always having to give the fairies her full attention. Because of that, I only visited every so often just to make sure she was okay.

After that battle with Pitch, Sandy had to take a long time to bring sweet dreams to the children that Pitch almost traumatized. Surprisingly, he was almost as busy as Toothiana! So I only visited him when he was in my area.

Even North was busier than before! He had to make the following Christmases even better than the last, which meant he spent all his time creating new toys that kids would love. He couldn't be bothered by me for long, so I let him do his work.

The only one who never seemed to change (well, except for Manny) was Bunnymund. While he was busy painting the most beautiful eggs you can think of, he found time to let me be with him.

That is, when I found the time. With the Dark Ages behind the world, everyone found hope and love. Rare was it that I found the time to sit and talk with my friends. I was constantly bouncing all over the place, shooting multiple people in one area. The world was drastically changing and all I wanted to do was be there to witness it. But years came and years went and eventually I forgot to check my hourglass. It was the mid-1600s when I realized how long I had been without my friends. I only noticed because I had finally slowed down to a normal pace.

Valentine's Day had just passed. I thought I would give North a visit. He was in his office, using his chainsaw to carve out a new toy I couldn't make out yet. The yetis welcomed me in and brought me to him. Because the chainsaw was so loud, North didn't hear me come in. I thanked the yeti and waited until North was done carving to cough loudly. He jumped slightly and turned. Upon seeing me, the jolly man burst out in a grin.

"Cupid! It has been nearly a century!" he exclaimed, opening his arms and standing. I went over to him and the bulky man trapped me in his arms in a bone-crunching hug. "Where have you been this whole time, Lovey?"

"Everywhere," I wheezed. North set me down and laughed boisterously. I rolled my shoulders and stretched my sore wings.

"So!" North boomed as he slapped my back, nearly knocking the wind out of me. "What brings you here at this time?"

I shook my head and walked to the window seat. "Nothing much; I just realized what time it was and thought I'd drop by," I answered, sitting. "I think I'll visit the others after this, too."

He agreed that it would be a great idea and we spent the rest of the hour talking, catching up on what's been going on. Since Pitch was defeated, things had been going greatly. The world was happier and thus the Guardians were happier. We talked about how Christmas was coming along and how Valentine's Day was. I was happy to know that the holiday had spread nearly all around the globe. Though people still didn't see me, I was at least glad to know that more and more people were celebrating the holiday.

The more we spoke about our holidays, the more I grew curious. I dared to ask North something that had just crossed my mind. "Hey, North," I said, "what other holiday spirits are there?"

The blue-eyed man thought about this for a minute and then said, "Well, there is me, you, Bunny, the Leprechaun, the Groundhog…and I believe the April Fool was born just a few centuries ago."

My eyes sparkled at the sound of other holiday spirits. "Really? Leprechaun, Groundhog, and the April Fool?! Why haven't we hung out before? I'd love to meet them!"

North scratched the back of his head nervously. "Well, Lovey, you see, the other holidays are more…bitter…"

I furrowed my brow. "'Bitter'? What do you mean?" I asked concernedly.

"Cupid," Santa started, "not everyone can be as accepting as you. We Guardians want to befriend every good spirit, but not every spirit wants to befriend the Guardians." I squinted, not quite understanding what he was saying. "Agh, perhaps it is time you meet them for yourself. I completely encourage it!"

Meeting the other holidays. I had never thought of it before. But now that I had, I desperately wanted to meet them. First thing was first, though. I went and visited Sandy, then Tooth, then Bunny. I told each of them my plan to meet the other holidays and each was as nervous as North, though all of them said it was wise for me to make my own judgments. So I did.

Tooth told me where to find Leprechaun. North told me where he suspected to find the April Fool. Bunny reluctantly told me where to find the Groundhog, but said not to get my hopes up. The Groundhog was cranky and preferred to be alone. Because of that information, I set out to find this Groundhog.

He lived in North America, very hidden in a state called Pennsylvania. It took a long time to find him, but I finally did on Groundhog's Day. After the ceremony was over and he did indeed see his shadow, he tried going back into the ground. I dove after him, grabbing him by the scruff. I wasn't going to let him get away that easily.

The small creature squirmed in my hand as I pulled him back out of the ground. "Hey, who do you think you are? I oughta bite you to death! Do you know who I am, missy? I am the Groundhog! No one messes with me! You don't know who you're dealing with! Let me go! Let me go, I say! Why, I…"

I studied the small and adorable animal as he kicked and scratched. I didn't expect him to look like this, nor be so garrulous. His voice was squeaky and rapid. Around his neck, he wore a yellow bandana, but was all as far as clothes went. "Slow down, slow down," I said calmly, trying to talk over his ranting. "I'm Cupid. I just wanted to meet the other holidays, is all."

Without warning, the Groundhog scratched my cheek. I cried out in pain and dropped him, holding the three scratches on my cheek. The Groundhog jumped, glaring at me. "Hmph! That'll teach ya to mess with me!" he shouted, and then continued to burrow down under the ground, grumbling all the while.

Needless to say, after meeting the Groundhog, I was a little nervous about meeting the other holidays. What if they were all grumpy like him? Especially Leprechaun! I heard he had a temper on him. Before going anywhere else, I went to Bunny's Warren to see if he had any herbs that would heal the wound quickly. You can imagine Bunny's anger when I told him what happened.

"_What?!"_ he exploded, jumping to his feet. "The Groundhog did that to ya? Why, I oughta kick his-!"

I raised my hands in defense. "Bunny, it's okay, it's just a scratch," I said gently. "I guess I should have listened to you in the first place, huh?"

I tried to get Bunnymund to relax, but for the rest of the day, he was all riled up. Thankfully he had an herb that would get it to heal faster. Sure enough, in only two days, my skin was as good as new.

After spending the next two weeks doing what I was actually supposed to do, I was off to Ireland. Hidden in the green mountain range, I found it: the Leprechaun's hideaway. There was a large rock with a rainbow design on it. Underneath, I found, was a hole. It led inside! I was so excited! Rolling the boulder away, I peered inside. There was a mountain of gold lying about, but I was definitely not interested in the gold pieces. After looking around for humans, I jumped inside the hole, landing and ultimately slipping on the gold.

I laughed a bit and tried to stand, which ended in complete failure each time. Suddenly a voice came from a different room. "Oi! Who's in my gold?!" Startled, I tried to stand once more, but slipped all the way down the bottom of the pile. From out of a doorway, the Leprechaun stood. And I was completely shocked at her appearance. I was expecting a small man with a full orange beard. But the true Leprechaun was nothing like that.

She was about 4 feet tall with fiery red hair – and a temper to match! She looked to be about fourteen, and wore a green wool sweater tied together at the waist, gray pants, and black shoes I hadn't seen before. She also had a dark green porter cap with a black strap on it, a four-leaf clover stuck in it. When she saw me, she clenched her fists and strode inside.

"Who the hell're you, ah?" she shouted. "You think you can just come in here and steal my gold? Well, you've got another thing coming, Pinky!" As she neared me, she rolled up the sleeves of her sweater as if she really meant to punch me.

Fearful, I jumped to my feet and backed away. "Hold on now, hold on!" I exclaimed. "Please, I honestly don't want your gold. I swear to you!"

"Liar! Why else would you be here?" she snapped.

My wings hit a wall behind me and I was cornered. I covered my face, cringing. "I'm Cupid; I just wanted to meet the other holidays and I thought it would be great to finally meet you!" I spit out. Just as the Leprechaun got to me, she stopped and studied me.

I slowly removed my hands from my face and looked back at her. Slowly, she burst out laughing. "You're kidding me, right?" she said through laughs. "You're telling me that _you_ are Cupid? Ha! That's a laugh. You're supposed to be a wee cherub wearing a diaper, aren't ya?"

My cheeks flushed. "Well, _you're_ supposed to be a little man with a beard and pipe, aren't you?" I countered, crossing my arms.

For a moment, Leprechaun's eyes widened and then she glared at me darkly. I braced my muscles, ready for the punch I expected. But then…she smiled and I let my guard down.

And then she punched my arm as hard as she could.

"Ow…" I muttered, rubbing my arm. Would I get hurt every time I met a new holiday?

"You're all right, Cupid," Leprechaun said. My heart fluttered. She didn't hate me like the Groundhog did. The short girl took me around her hideout and I got to know her a little, learning about all she does. When I asked to see a coin, she flipped and wouldn't even let me touch the pile. Apparently she had been around since the 1200s, and while she had believers at first, the numbers slowly diminished. Now she was like me, no believers at all. Rare was it that people would see her.

I liked that. We had something in common that the Guardians would never know. Despite her quick temper, Leppy and I came to be good friends. I even dared to ask her why she doesn't hang out with the Guardians more often. Her answer surprised me. "The Guardians don't care about us," she spat. "They only care about themselves and the children."

It reminded me of Pitch, but I didn't say so. "That's not true," I tried. "The Guardians care about all of us. They want to be our friends. They-"

"Ah, shut it, Pinky," she grumbled. And that was the end of that conversation. I spent a few more hours with Leppy and then it was time to go back to my duties. I promised to see her soon and then I was off.

After that, I was really busy and never found the time to find the April Fool, whoever he was. Decades passed and I could only focus on one holiday: Valentine's Day. The humans needed me. However, in the year 1692, I stuck around and watched an interesting romance. It was between a young girl and an older, married man. The girl, mad with jealousy, ended up accusing the man of being a witch and got him hanged. In 1692 and 1693, I witnessed a few of those hangings in North America. It was insane.

In the year 1698, I decided to take a break to celebrate All Hallows Eve with humans. Children dressed in costumes walked around and asked for gifts. North had told me that there was no spirit of Halloween that he knew of. I thought that was unfortunate. Nearly every holiday had its own spirit, even April Fools! I had asked Manny if there ever would be a spirit of Halloween. All he said was that I would have to look and see. It took that as a challenge. That is why in the fall of 1698, I searched all over the globe for this spirit. I didn't know what I was looking for, but Manny told me that I would find the spirit in North America.

It was getting late. I was pessimistic because I just could not find anyone out of the ordinary. I was beginning to think that Manny was playing a trick on me. And then, just as I was about to give up all hope, I found her.

I sat on the grass in front of someone's lawn and watched the children walk by. Occasionally I would have to take out my bow and arrow and shoot someone, but it didn't happen often. The land was clearing out, parents getting their children to bed. I stood, thinking it was a good idea. Until I saw a girl rummaging through a child's bag, unbeknownst to the child! I was outraged! She was stealing from the child! On impulse, I shouted, "Hey!"

The girl, who looked to be a teenager, stood straight and looked around. She frowned, clutching a broom. I gasped when I noticed the color of her eyes. They were orange! Suddenly, the girl let go of the broom. It levitated in the air! And she stood on top of it and _flew_ off! She definitely wasn't human!

"Hey! Come back!" I shouted, flying after her. My wings flapped hard to keep up with her. In the moonlight, I saw her tall silhouette, one hand on her hip. "Hey, you! Come back!"

She came to a sudden stop. The broomstick spun around and she faced me. I slowed to a stop before her, doing my best to hover, something I was still trying to master. Now that she was still, I could see her appearance perfectly.

She had short, messy, boyish black hair, her bangs highlighted orange and bordering her slim face. Her eyes were round, the color of pumpkins. Her attire was odd and hard to describe. Her short, torn sleeves were an army green, while she wore white gauze wrapped all around her torso. The torn skirt of her dress was the same color of the sleeves and stopped just below her thighs; her leggings were striped, orange and black. Her shoes, black and shiny.

"You…" I said breathlessly, "are you a spirit?"

She stared at me some, suspicious, and when I spoke, her eyes widened. Still, she did not speak. It took that as a yes.

"I'm Cupid," I introduced myself, venturing higher and closer.

And then she smiled. And spoke. "I'm Hallow," she said. "Nice to meet ya."

**A/N: So, this chapter really got me thinking about these characters. So I suppose that I should state that Rise of the Guardians is © DreamWorks and William Joyce. HOWEVER. **_**This version**_** of Cupid and the spirit of Halloween, Hallow, are both mine. I've had work stolen from me before, so I must say please ask me if you can use my characters in your story. D: Please and thank you? This version of Leprechaun is in fact © ****Ironic-Sarcasm**** from her fic **_**Technicolor Dreams.**_** She's one of my favorite authors, so I asked her if I could use her take on Leprechaun and she gave me her permission. With that said, go ahead and show ****Ironic-Sarcasm**** some love, and I will see you in the next chapter! -Eri**


	10. Hallow

**Hallow**

When I first met her, Hallow was a little strange. She looked to be about 17 or 18, but her spontaneous personality was that of an eight-year-old. She was exciting and curious and crazy; just a joy to be around. Halloween was over for the year, so after we met we had a lot of time to get to know one another. I allowed Hallow to follow me all around the world to my targets, show her what I do. With that broom of hers, she kept up just fine. Her witch's broom was what enabled her to fly, but that wasn't her only power. She could also conjure any kind of candy you can imagine out of thin air.

As I took Hallow all around the world, she explained to me what she does, promising to show me next Halloween. Manny told her that it was her job to watch over the children of the world on Halloween. To make sure they're safe and watched over while they go out at night. With her ability to pull candy out of thin air, she could gift the children with even more candy than they expected. She told me that sometimes she liked to find a good kid and exchange the gross candy with one they would like. And then give the gross candy to some brat. She also told me that aside from spending time with kids and giving them candy, her other favorite thing was playing tricks.

She loved inspiring kids to throw toilet paper over someone's yard or jump out and scare their younger sibling. "It's a blast!" she hooted. I was a bit confused though. I asked her what she meant by "inspiring" and she explained to me smoothly: "Oh, one of my other powers that I found out I have is producing fear and mischief."

I was a little taken back by what she said. Bringing fear? It sounded a lot like Pitch. When Hallow saw my expression, she laughed. "It's not what you think, Lovey," she said, quickly adopting the nickname Bunny had given me. "It's a good kind of fear. The challenging kind of fear that makes you wanna go out and do something daring, you know? And the deviousness that makes you wanna just do something good-heartedly wicked?" I could tell that she sensed my suspicion and was trying to put it easily.

"You've felt that before, haven't you?" she asked. "It's Halloween night, everything is spooky, and you gotta pass that suspicious bush. You don't want to 'cause you know something's gonna pop out and get ya, but you just do it anyway." I envisioned the scene, starting to understand what she was saying. "Well, that's what I give kids. Just a tap on the shoulder with my broomstick and they'll be in the Halloween spirit in a second. Don't worry; I'll show you what I mean on Halloween."

And she did, alleviating my worries. The following Halloween night, I took a break to follow Hallow around the world. We followed around the excited children, unseen, and that was fine for once. Hallow was hopping all over the place, finding various kids to give more candy to. We found a group of kids outside a "haunted" house, debating whether they should go in or not. Hallow nudged me. "Watch this," she said, and went over to them.

I watched from a distance, intrigued at what might happen. Hallow examined each of them, listening to their argument on who should go first. Finally she smirked and tapped a tall boy on the shoulder with her broomstick. I saw orange sparkles twinkle around his eyes and suddenly he clenched his fists and stepped forward.

"All right, I'll do it!" he declared, aweing the other kids. He was trembling, obviously frightened, but he did it anyway, venturing inside the mansion first.

Next Hallow showed me what else she could do with that power. She found two brothers who were always quarreling, stealing candy from one another. With just one tap on the shoulder, one boy's eyes sparkled and he went ahead of his brother and hid. When the younger of the two went to find him, the elder jumped out of nowhere, scaring the living daylights out of the boy! After regaining himself, the younger laughed along with his brother.

Finally she showed me the fear she produced. We found the perfect boy, whose first time it was going out alone. He was walking down an alleyway, confident as could be. But then Hallow tapped his shoulder and his tracks slowed. He looked around this way and that, jumping at every shadow and little noise. It was almost comical to watch. Finally Hallow pulled me over to a chain-link fence. She waited until all was quiet…

And then beat on the fence with her broom. The boy screamed and ran for his life. Hallow laughed and laughed and laughed. I had to restrain a laugh myself. I knew that later on, the boy would look back on this and laugh himself for being so frightened. And that's when I got it. I finally understood that Hallow was nothing like Pitch. Her fear was good and fun. His fear was evil and dark.

After that year, Hallow and I only became closer friends. I even showed her how to shoot an arrow. It took a long time for her to figure it out, but she did eventually. Of course she wasn't a master markswoman like me, but perhaps one day she would be as good as me. She had all the time in the world to learn. A few times I allowed her to shoot the targets. She missed sometimes, but her reaction when she got it right was hilarious. She jumped into the air, whooping and hollering.

"Did you see that, Lovey? Did'ja see it? I totally hit that guy like a pro!" she exclaimed. I laughed and gave her a vial to quickly collect the man's Feelings. After capturing the gaseous substance, she knelt and examined the bottle. It was clear, made of glass, cylindrical, with a red cork cap. On its side, the person's name, location, crush, and date was engraved in nice cursive. "This is so cool," she breathed as I knelt beside her. "Where'd you get it?"

"The Man in the Moon gave it to me," I said. I had already explained to her long ago what my job was and all that I did for the world.

Hallow went quiet a moment, and then spoke up again. "Does the Man in the Moon talk to you often?" she asked, looking at me with her large orange eyes.

I thought a moment. "Not so often," I admitted, surprising myself. "When I was all alone, we would talk a lot, but as the years have gone on, he's kind of allowed me to do whatever I want with little communication unless I really need it."

The spirit girl looked up to the moon and went quiet again. Because she was a new spirit, I told her all about the Guardians and believers. She was amazed that the Guardians really existed and disappointed when I told her about believers. She even asked the same question I did. "Do you think I'll ever be believed in?" she asked.

I touched her shoulder. "I'm actually pretty sure you will," I said honestly. "And if you want to know my opinion, I think you have the makings of a fine Guardian." She was cheered up by this comment. It was evident to me now that, yes, every spirit wants to be a Guardian. Guardians are loved, are known, are seen. Guardians have a duty greater than any of us. Though that was unlikely, it was still nice to hope.

One night after knowing Hallow for two and a half years, she decided that I was close enough to her to bring me to her home. I was a little confused; I didn't know she had a home. But it turns out that when she was first reborn in 1692, six years before we met, she would spend most of her time in the house she lived in before she died. It was an old cabin in the middle of the woods in Salem, Oregon. It was two stories high, already falling apart. There were two bathrooms; creaky stairs; five bedrooms; a small kitchen; and many more rooms for dining or playing. Upstairs, Hallow took me to a room where countries were painted onto the walls: Italy, France, England, North America. Toys littered the floor, broken and dusty.

She sat on the rug in the middle of the floor and crisscrossed her legs. "What was this room?" I asked, looking out the window.

"A playroom," she answered. "From when I was a child. And then when I got older, I let other children play in here as well."

I continued to explore the room, studying the countries on the walls, the toys in the closet. "This is where you lived. Who did you live with?"

A small, broken smile found her face. "At first my mother, father, and grandmother," she said. "And then it was just me and my grandmother."

I furrowed my brow. "What happened to your parents?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. They just never came back one day." And then, with her head down and fingers laced, she told her tale: "No one ever comes here because they think it's haunted by my ghost. That's okay, too, but I don't want anyone to live here but me." She sighed. I took a seat on the floor against a wall. "Before I was reborn, I lived alone here with – my grandma. We were wiccans, healers. No one really bothered us. I liked to go out into the village to play some pranks on the townsfolk, but they were harmless and I never got in any real trouble. But then the Salem Witch Trials began and everything went to crap. Someone accused me of witchcraft and they were going to storm the cabin to take me and my grandma in to be tried and hanged."

She swallowed hard. I listened intently. I had wondered what went wrong in Salem. Never knew the real story. Now this was it. I was getting the first-hand experience from the girl who lived through it. And _died_ through it.

"I didn't want them to get my dear old grammy, so I decided to play one last joke while she escaped," Hallow went on. "It worked, all right. By the time I was done, half of that town was on fire and I was in a lot of trouble. They caught me and, without a trial, I was sentenced to the gallows." That's when she looked up at me. There wasn't a trace of remorse in her eyes, not even a single tear welling. "It was only after I died and Manny brought me back that I knew the truth. I had some…mental illness or something. I-I only _thought_ that my grandma was real and alive. Truth is I didn't even have a grandma; she disappeared with my parents. I might have been spared and put on trial if I hadn't been deluded into thinking I could save her."

Through her broken window, she turned her attention from me to the moon. "I'm not sure why Manny chose me of all people to be brought back. Personally I think it was an awful choice."

I looked away, a bit stunned by this information. I was always curious to know how Hallow came to be, but I never had the courage to ask. "I don't think it was a bad choice," I said, bringing her attention back to me. "You were deluded, but you had a good heart. Maybe that's why he brought you back. I like you, Hallow. You actually have time to spend with me. You're a good friend."

Hallow blushed and turned away. "Ah, shut it, Pinky," she muttered, reminding me of Leprechaun. We let the topic drop and didn't speak of pasts again. Hallow didn't ask how I became the Spirit of Valentine's and I didn't mention it.

…It was after Hallow opened up herself to me that I decided it was time that she met the Guardians. I didn't want her to go through a century to meet them like I did. So I met up with North one day while Hallow was out doing her own thing and asked him if he'd be willing to call the Guardians together and have a celebration for Hallow like they did for me. His answer shocked me.

"Lovey, I do not think that is a very good idea," he said gently. "We do not just throw big party for anyone."

My eyebrows knitted together. "You threw a party for me…"

He came over to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "That was a long time ago," he said. "Times have changed. Guardians no longer have time to stray from our duties. We are very busy, Cupid. I am sorry."

I was upset after that. Hallow deserved to meet the Guardians, our heroes. Why wouldn't North just give the time to at least meet her? It wouldn't hurt anyone! She didn't even have to interrupt his work. I thought North was overreacting, so I asked the same thing of Tooth, Sandy, and Bunny. All of them turned me down. I didn't understand. What had happened to my friends? After the war with Pitch, none of them were the same. It was always "Work, work, work!" "Busy, busy, busy!" I was always busy, too, but I found the time to spend with the people I loved. It wasn't fair.

Instead of taking Hallow to see them, I had to settle with telling her all about them and the good times we spent with one another. She was especially interested in Nicholas, as she said that Christmas was her favorite holiday as a child. North was the one that she desperately wanted to meet. I had to break it to her that the Guardians are extremely busy. Only Sandy is like me, always zooming about. The other three are always cooped up in their kingdoms, working. She was disappointed, as I thought.

So, I took her to meet Sandy at the very least. The small man was ecstatic to meet her, and welcomed the Spirit of Halloween warmly. I left her behind with him because I had my own duties to carry out. Sandy had no complaints, which was great. Hallow couldn't meet her idol, Nicholas St. North, but she could meet the bringer of sweet dreams.

I didn't see Hallow again for months. I got so distracted in my work I didn't realize it was already December. Already Christmas. It was snowing outside. I stood near a window inside a cabin, watching two men read together. They were best friends. Destined to be with one another. I had shot the blonde man long ago. Today was the day that his friend would realized he loved him, too.

I loaded an arrow just as the blonde man brought the brunette closer. I aimed. They kissed. I fired. The arrow pierced the brunette and Feelings arose from his shoulders. I collected them promptly and stood back, watching the two come closer to one another. Forbidden love was my favorite, even more than a tragic romance. Forbidden love was pure, sweet, and exciting. I enjoyed making those of the same gender fall in love because it was beautiful. The world still hated the idea of letting love be. The world didn't see that love is blind to gender, color, and size. I hoped that one day that would change. For now, I would watch how it all unfolded.

With a sigh of admiration, I turned away from the men, allowing them privacy. It took a moment to do so, but I had to focus my energy on the wall. It took a lot out of me, but I was able to phase through walls. Once on the outside, I released my held breath and looked up to the night sky. Snowflakes fell gracefully, landing in my hair and on my face, the cold nipping my nose.

I smiled, enjoying the peace and quiet snow brought. Then I paused and thought about it. How long had it been snowing? I rummaged through my knapsack and pulled out the glowing hourglass. I pressed the blue button on top and wisps of smoke appeared in numbers:

December 25th, 1700

1:19:07

Time continued to tick, 08, 09, 10…

My eyes widened. North! I always saw him off on Christmas and I missed it! He should have been long gone around the world by now. I had to-

"There you are, Lovey!"

I turned around just as Bunny hopped out of a hole in the ground. My eyes sparkled at the sight of him. It had been so long! "Bunny! What are you doing here?" I asked, going over to him, storing the hourglass away. "Is it because I missed North's takeoff? I-I'm so sorry. I didn't realize-"

"North never took off, mate," the Easter Bunny interrupted, silencing me.

"What…?"

"Your little friend Halloween, she attacked him just as he was about to. Tied him up and stole the sleigh. I've been looking for you for hours."

My heart began to race. Hallow? It was impossible. She would never do that. "That's…that's impossible. How did she get passed the yetis? How is she controlling the reindeer? They only listen to North," I tried to reason.

"Do I look like I know?" Bunny snapped, surprising me. "We have to find her or else Christmas will be ruined forever. We may be too late already."

I nodded, swallowing hard. Without another word, I pulled out my magic mirror. "Show me Hallow," I commanded. Bunny came behind me to look over my shoulder. Our image rippled and changed, revealing Hallow instead. She wore North's cap, a grin plastered on her face. She sat in the driver's seat of the red sleigh, cracking the reigns, leading the reindeer into another town. It looked like somewhere in Greenland.

Bunny and I exchanged a look and we both nodded. I shoved the mirror in the sack and took off into the sky as Bunny disappeared into the ground. What was Hallow thinking? Stealing someone else's holiday. Stealing a holiday at all! I knew she liked Christmas, but this was going too far. She could permanently damage North. If enough children stopped believing in him, he could disappear. We couldn't let that happen.

When I arrived in a town in Greenland, I quickly located the sleigh taking off into the sky. "Hallow!" I shouted, zooming toward it. I landed on top of the sack of toys, and then jumped down behind the girl. She turned and grinned at me. "Lovey! There you are!" she exclaimed. "Check it out, I'm Santa!"

"Hallow, are you insane? What do you think you're doing?" I yelled, going over to her.

She shrugged. "I'm just having a little fun. What's the big deal, Cupid?"

"The big deal? The _big deal?_" I exploded. "Hallow, you're ruining Christmas! What in MiM's name made you think you could _steal Christmas?"_

The girl narrowed her eyes. "It's not _stealing,_ I'm just taking the sleigh out for a joyride," she said stubbornly. "I can handle being Santa for the day. It's not even that hard."

I wanted to slap her across the face. Instead I controlled myself and forced her to sit on the seat. Taking the reins, I directed the reindeer back to the North Pole. I didn't know how to drive the sleigh, but I did my best.

"Cupid, what're you doing?" Hallow whined. "I was having so much fun!"

"Too bad. You could have hurt someone."

Hallow sat back down and crossed her arms and legs.

…Back at the Pole, I narrowly landed the sleigh on the takeoff ramp. I couldn't drive it inside, so I would leave that for North and the yetis. The yetis welcomed us first. Two of them grabbed hold of Hallow and dragged her inside. Another was trying to talk to me and ask me questions, but I didn't know what he was saying. The others directed the sleigh inside safely.

"Someone go make that Aurora Call thing to the Guardians," I ordered, following the yetis that held Hallow.

It wasn't long later that the Big Four was standing in the parlor, the same place I first met them. The yetis and elves around us were running around, trying to correct things. The Guardians and I were seething with rage. Hallow simply sat on the floor like a stalwart child. North came into the room, pacing. He glared deeply at the Halloween spirit. I had never seen him so angry. He went over to her and snatched his hat back.

"You," he growled lowly, "are forever on Naughty list."

There was something about him that looked dulled already. I followed the broad man as he strode off to the sleigh. "Is there still time to save Christmas?" I asked, starting to tremble.

"Still time? To save Christmas?" North asked. "Of course there is. I am Santa Claus!"

I stopped walking and watched him go. I had to believe in him. I had to believe that Hallow hadn't ruined the holiday forever. After North disappeared, I sighed and went back to Sandy, Tooth, and Bunny. Bunny's fists were clenched at his side; he was ready to punch Hallow in her face. Tooth was trying to remain calm as she flittered about, ordering her fairies to different teeth around the world. It was nice to see her out of the Tooth Palace again. Sandy stood with his arms crossed, glaring at her, little foot tapping impatiently on the ground.

I supposed they were all waiting for me to say something. I stood beside Tooth and narrowed my eyes at Hallow. She refused to look at any of us. "What do you have to say for yourself?" I asked, placing my hands on my hips.

Hallow paused for a while. And then released her breath in a groan. "Look, I don't know what the big deal is," she snapped. "I was doing fine. I wasn't hurting anybody. I just wanted to know what it was like to be the keeper of some other holiday."

"Yes, you were hurting somebody! You were hurting a lot of people!" Bunny snapped, coming forward. I kept an eye on him to make sure he didn't hurt her. "You had no business trying to take over a holiday you know nothing about. Do you know that if enough children stop believing in a Guardian, that Guardian begins to disappear? We're not immortal, Halloween. We can still die!"

"See, I didn't know that!" Hallow shouted, standing on her feet. "No one told me that! Besides, I was delivering presents!"

"To the right people?" I asked, stepping forward.

Hallow started to speak, but then stopped.

Tooth spoke up from behind us. Her voice was gentle, but stern at the same time. "You have no idea what you could have done tonight, Hallow. There may and there may not be time to fix this. North only has one night."

Everything went quiet. I watched the lights on the giant globe go out in some places. My heart sank. North had to hurry. I looked to Manny as if he could do anything to fix this. He said nothing, but I knew that was unlikely. All we could do was wait.

When I looked back at my friends, Bunny and Hallow were inches apart, glaring one another down. He was taller than her by a longshot, but the girl didn't back down. "We oughta banish you to the darkest depths of the world," he growled.

"Do it. Go on," Hallow challenged. That was a bad idea. Bunny raised a fist, but Sandy quickly grabbed his wrist.

"Stop, both of you," I said sternly, looking from the Pooka to the girl. Both took a step back. "We'll let North decide what happens to her."

Though I was furious at Hallow, I didn't want anything to happen to her. They banished Pitch Black, they could definitely banish her. The Guardians had the power. If anything went wrong this Christmas – if anything happened to North – Hallow would be in more trouble than she ever imagined. I wouldn't doubt it if North himself wanted her exiled. And that worried me.

**A/N: Oof, a lot of information in this chapter. Hope you guys liked it! Lemme know your opinions on Hallow? How about that **_**Nightmare Before Christmas**_** complication in this chapter? :D Thanks for reading! I'll see ya soon! -Eri**


	11. Believer

**Believer**

North didn't come back for nearly two days. He made sure to go back and give the proper gifts to the children Hallow had tampered with. In this time, Tooth and Sandy had to go back to work, leaving me, Bunny, and the yetis to watch over Hallow. I told Bunny that he should go back to the Warren, but he refused. "Oh, no way, mate. I'm not going to leave you here with her," he said.

If it wasn't obvious before, it was now: Bunny loathed Hallow. Bunny was tough and extremely protective, even when the situation didn't call for it. Now that North's life was on the line, Aster was in Instinct Mode. The second he got word that Nicholas wasn't okay, he was likely to pounce on Hallow. By the end of this holiday, someone could be gone.

Bunny and the yetis didn't allow Hallow to move an inch. She sat on the Guardians' seal on the floor, nary saying a word, just watching us carefully. Was she planning an escape? How could she? The yetis took away her broom. The most she ever did while sitting there was casually eat some candy. The most I ever did was pace. I was so befuddled. I thought Hallow was good, that she was my friend. But then she pulled a stunt like this. Halloween stealing Christmas. And for what?! Fun and surprises – that was it.

Elves brought cookies after a few hours, and while Bunny declined, I gratefully accepted them. North knew my favorite were heart-shaped sugar cookies with white frosting and red sprinkles. I took the plate from the elves and thanked them quietly. The three of them nodded, and then puckered their lips as if they wanted a thank-you kiss. I chortled awkwardly and went over to Bunny who, when the elves tried to follow me, kicked them away.

There was silence in the workshop and there was noise. The yetis had many things to do to prepare for North and to make sure that the believers didn't give up hope. But here in the parlor, there was an intense silence. No one asked questions, no one made taunting quips. It was just quiet. None of us were willing to talk first. Not until North came home safe and sound.

When he did, there was an outburst. It was the first time Bunny took his eyes off of Hallow. Momentarily forgetting everything, Bunny and I ran to North who entered the parlor removing his hat. His color had returned, which said everything he didn't. "North!" I exclaimed happily, jumping into his hug. "I'm so glad you're all right! How was it? Is everything okay?" I was breathless as I pulled away from him and stood back beside Bunny.

North turned to the globe to study it. "Everything is back to normal, thank goodness," he said. "However, I have lost quite a few believers."

Bunny and I hung our head. Even the loss of one believer was saddening. Now that I focused on the spinning sphere in the middle of the room, I saw that there was a considerable amount of disenchanted children. After a moment of silence, the three of us turned to Hallow, who now stood, watching us. She held her arm, shame weighting down on her shoulders. I was the only one who didn't look at her with disdain. I almost started to pity her. But it wasn't the time for pity. Now it was the time for judgment.

I followed North and Bunny over to Hallow. She stood stiffly and proudly, lifting her chin as if to brace herself to be strong. We waited for silence, and then North spoke. "What do you have to say for yourself, Keeper of Halloween?" he asked, folding his arms.

Hallow inhaled through her nose and then replied, "Not much. I'm sorry. I didn't mean for things to go badly-"

"But it did because of what you've done," Bunny snapped.

"I said I'm sorry!" Hallow barked. Before Bunny could say anything sharp, I placed a hand on his arm, silencing him. This wasn't our fight. North knew how to handle this.

He locked his bright blue eyes on Hallow's pumpkin orange, waiting for her to continue. She exhaled deeply. "I had no idea what happens to a Guardian if their believers stop believing. You're my favorite spirit, North. Why would I ever want to kill you?"

She made a point and I believed her. Hallow was a good person. "I suppose you make good point," North said. "I have spoken to Manny about this issue. And we agreed" – I bated my breath – "to give you a warning."

Hallow and I exhaled loudly. Bunny shouted, _"What?!"_

North ignored him and went on. "You are free to go for now. However. You will never be able to set foot near the North Pole or anywhere near the other Guardians' palaces again." Hallow's face fell. North voice took a darker tone: "If we catch you, it will be the end of you, Hallow. You will be banished into exile and never see the light of day again."

Exile. It seemed like a harsh punishment if she were to go anywhere near Sandman's Island, the North Pole, the Tooth Palace, or Bunnymund's Warren. I had never been informed on anything about exile, but now I was curious. I would have to ask North about it, especially if Hallow could be down the road to there.

Hallow was released and Bunny and I had to go back to our duties. After Hallow left, neither of us wanted to leave North, but he said that he was exhausted and needed rest. Bunny and I had things to do and we had put them off for too long. So, reluctantly, we agreed. Bunny jumped into his rabbit hole and I took off to the sky.

* * *

It was February 14th of 1870. My holiday. I was as busy as ever. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary – no omen or hint. It just happened out of the blue.

I swooped to a landing just outside a large building, a museum. The front doors were wide open, so I hurried inside, making sure not to phase through anyone. I had little time to admire the artifacts carefully positioned throughout the establishment. My target was in a room filled with art, paintings and sculptures alike. As I scurried through various halls, I fished through my sack, quickly locating my target's already collected Feelings.

While I was distracted, a couple walking hand-in-hand went right through me. I inhaled sharply and shuddered, glaring at them as they strolled on by without even the slightest clue about what they'd done. Swallowing hard, I jumped into the air and flew into the room instead. I found my target: a handsome man who had recently broken up with his girlfriend of five years. He aimlessly wandered through the halls, occasionally glancing up at the paintings.

I landed in front of a painting of a woman who barely smiled. When the man came over to this painting, he looked up and stopped. Slowly, he turned to face the painting. His brown eyes were distant and reminiscent. I stood by his side and stared at the painting as well before shrugging. After opening the vial of Feelings, I held it by his chin. The pink gas rose from the vial and formed a cloud in front of his face. Images danced inside the mass, images of the wonderful times he had shared with his loved one.

Soon the picture show ended and the gas retreated back into the vial where I plugged the lid. The man sighed deeply, never taking his eyes off the painting. It was here that he first met the woman. His fists clenched and determination filled his expression. Suddenly he ran out of the museum. And all the way to his lover to set things right.

Another name appeared in my head. It was close by, in England, at a school for children. So without further ado, I took off to the sky, across the sea, to a large red school in a shore town. It was always a pleasure of mine to shoot children with my arrows. First crushes were especially beautiful. Everyone remembers silly little crushes they had as kids. A child's crush was pure and innocent.

When I landed in front of the building, I made a mental note to find Hallow so we could hang out. It had been over a hundred years since she tried to steal Christmas from North. She upheld her end of the bargain and didn't go anywhere near the Guardians. In fact, she even avoided conversation about them as much as possible. After a few decades, we started hanging out again and now things were going fine. We weren't together every day, but we did still spend time with one another. The world was in balance once more.

Focusing my energy, I went through the door. On the other side, I turned my attention to the classroom. Inside of the school, the walls were decorated in pink, red, and white – my favorite colors. The children had to be about six years old; all were doing arts and crafts. I caught up to my target just in time. It was a little girl. I swiftly loaded an arrow just as a boy came up to her and handed her a heart-shaped card. The girl dared to kiss the boy's cheek and they sat together despite their friends yelling "Ew!"

I laughed and stored away her Feelings. Just as I was about to leave, the teacher called the children together. They took their seats and gave the man their attention. In cursive, he wrote on the board "Saint Valentine." I paused at the doorway, watching curiously. What was he doing? Over the course of my 1,601 years of being the Keeper of Valentine's, I found that I understood every language there was in the world. I was reborn with the instinct and it was a good thing.

"So, children, are any of you aware of the history of Saint Valentine's Day?" the teacher asked. All of the children shook their heads. My heart nearly jumped into my chest. Where would this history lesson lead? Ignoring my many duties, I came into the room again and listened along with the children. The man taught them about a man named Saint Valentine who was a soldier who was in love. The emperor of his time did not want Valentine to be in love, so he was sentenced to prison. Still, even when Valentine was imprisoned, he continued to send secret love letters to his lover. In the end, he would always sign "Your Valentine." A few years after that, the new emperor heard of this tragic tale and thus created this holiday in his honor.

I chuckled and crossed my arms, shaking my head. Of course he wouldn't mention me. As a human, I was Cupid Valentinus, so naturally I had always thought the holiday was named after me. I wasn't sure about the accuracy of this lesson, but I couldn't say otherwise. There were wars waging in the 200s, but my friends and I never paid any heed.

With a disappointed sigh, I began to leave again. That is, until the teacher began talking about Cupid. This brought my attention to him once more. He explained that Cupid – as he drew a picture on the board – was the symbol of Valentine's Day, a mystical spirit who shot unsuspecting victims with arrows to make them fall in love. Against the blackboard, he drew a simple picture of a cherub and labeled it Cupid. My smile slipped. Instead of telling the tale of me and how I had died protecting my friends, he told the tale of Cupid, the god of desire.

I slapped my forehead and groaned loudly. "Are you kidding me?" I exclaimed.

I felt like taking an arrow and shooting the teacher to make him falsely fall in love with someone. But before I could even decide what my next move would be, there was a loud gasp. I jumped a bit along with the other children. All attention turned to a boy who sat closest to me. He had messy brown hair and light brown eyes. Eyes that were glued to me.

_To me._

It took a second to click, but when it did, I gasped too and stepped back. I tried to talk, but my vocal chords wouldn't work. What would I say anyway? I looked around a moment, eyes as wide as plates, mouth agape. Then I waved briefly.

The little boy, with the same expression I had, slowly raised his hand and waved back.

I let out a shocked squeak and jumped back, covering my mouth. "You can see me?" I asked breathlessly. I was about to convince myself that I was finally going crazy. Before the boy could reply, the teacher cleared his throat loudly, bringing the boy's attention to him.

"Is there something you would like to share with the class, Mr. Robinson?" he asked, tapping his ruler on his hand intimidatingly.

The boy's eyes went from the teacher to me, to the teacher then to me, and back to the teacher again. The Robinson boy swallowed and shook his head. "Um, no, sir…May I be excused? I'm suddenly feeling ill." His voice was still high-pitched and cute.

"Again?" the teacher asked exhaustedly. "You know where the loo is." The teacher turned back to the board and continued his lesson. The kids snickered at the strange boy and paid him no mind as he grabbed my hand and dragged me outside.

Once we were far enough away from the school, the boy let me go and faced me. Neither of us said a word, just stared at one another. There were too many things I wanted to say at once! No words could describe what I was feeling. I wanted to explode! The boy was the first of us to make the first move.

"You're an angel," he said quickly. I shook my head, forgetting how to form words. He was _talking to me!_ "Are-are you Cupid?" I nodded. He slowly laughed and jumped around in circles. "I can't believe it! I can't believe it! You're real! You're really really really real!"

I laughed, too, tangling my fingers in my hair. "And you can see me! Oh, my MiM!" I whooped loudly, leapt high into the air, did a backflip, and landed in front of the dazzled boy, hugging him tightly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Wow! That was amazing!" he shouted. Many people had stopped to watch the strange boy talking to himself. I immediately blushed and pulled away, smiling sheepishly.

"Oops, sorry," I said, brushing my bangs behind my ear. "People are looking at you oddly."

He shrugged, still smiling. "They always look at me like that; I'm used to it." I thought he was joking. After a brief pause, he held out his small hand. "My name is William Robinson, miss Cupid." I grabbed his hand and shook rapidly.

Wasting no time, he began asking me questions about myself, but before I could answer any of them, Manny spoke up. William couldn't hear him, but I could. I stood and looked up at the sky where the moon looked faint. Manny gently reminded me that it was still Valentine's Day and I still had a job to do. I wasn't ready to leave William behind; he was my fist believer! But I had to go. The world needed me.

I knelt in front of William and took his shoulders. I told him that I was still extremely busy, but I was going to come back and see him again in two days. He was disappointed to have me leave so soon, but agreed. Two days. Same place, same time. After saying our reluctant goodbyes, I flew off into the sky with my first believer watching me go.

…While in North America, I picked up Hallow along the way to my next target. I had to tell her everything. She was ecstatic for me, and even more-so when she realized what this meant.

I could get William to believe in her, too.

Our very first believer. I couldn't stop repeating it in my head, replaying the scene and how it all happened. A thousand years I had gone with everyone passing me off as nothing. Like I never existed, though every February I was all they would talk about. Finally my time had come. It was just one believer, but that was okay – one was enough. For where there was one believer, there were friends. And William could spread the belief and perhaps one day I would be as known and loved as the Guardians! It was a childish thought, but I stuck by it. I had to trust William. I had to believe in him like he believed in me.

…Two days later, as promised, I met Will outside his school. Unfortunately, I was late because I had to pick up Hallow and continue on with my duties. So when we arrived in the English town, we had to wait until school was over in the afternoon. While Hallow and I waited, Manny was scolding me. He said that he understood that I was excited to have a believer, I still had a job to carry out. It wasn't right for me to stop so out of the blue. But I couldn't listen to him. I had to see William again. I had to be there with him and talk with him and hold him and learn all about what's going on the human world. Hallow was just as adamant about staying as I was. She, unlike me, didn't have a duty to accomplish every single day. She wanted believers, too, and she knew Will was just the ticket to fame.

When the large, golden bell atop the school was rung, Hallow and I stood from our place on the grass. Will was the first one out of there. He spotted me and ran over as fast as he could. Despite my instinct to jump out of the way, I kept my feet firmly planted on the ground…but I still braced myself just in case he did in fact phase through me like everyone else.

Will did not go through me. He hugged my legs tightly. "Cupid, I knew you'd come! I'm so glad to see you back, I am!" he exclaimed, completely unaware of Hallow's presence.

I hugged him back, smiling warmly. Hallow watched on, entranced to see me being held by a mortal. "Of course I came back, William," I said. I pulled away, hand still on his shoulder, and directed his body to Hallow. He saw nothing. "William, I brought a friend with me."

His head swiveled this way and that, trying to search for who it could be. "Who is it?" he asked. "Is it the Easter Bunny?"

I laughed a bit and shook my head. "No. This is a girl." Hallow stiffened, hands clenching in anticipation. "Her name is Hallow. She's the spirit of Halloween. She brings you candy and fun on Halloween." William's expressions showed that he was really trying to imagine her: He squinted and pondered and shifted his eyes. "And she's standing right in front of you…"

Suddenly, his eyes widened and he jumped back. "G-good Lord, when did you get there?" he squeaked. He was staring right at Hallow!

Hallow's face brightened, her grin was from ear-to-ear. Without warning, she snatched up William in her arms and spun him around, screaming, "He sees me, he sees me, he sees me, he sees me!" I laughed and grabbed Hallow's shoulder, forcing her to put him down before anybody saw.

And so began something that was supposed to be the greatest thing to ever happen to me. Hallow and I had our first believer.

**A/N: For those of you growing impatient, I think I should let you know that if all goes well, Jack Frost should be here by chapter fifteen at the most. I'll do my best to keep updating every week and get to Jack as quickly as possible. So stay tuned, and thank you for reading! -Eri**


	12. Will

**Author's Note: In response to the anonymous reviewer "Reader": Hello and thank you for reviewing. :D Yes, I am aware that Jack was reborn in 1712. In this story, Cupid has no idea he exists yet. So by the time they do meet, he will have gone through over a hundred years of solitude. Don't worry, guys. I got this all figured out. :3**

**In other news! This chapter is the reason the rating changed from K+ to T! Yay! :D**

**Will**

Yes, Hallow and I had our first believer – a young eccentric boy who was just as happy as we were. Hallow was able to visit him every single day, get closer to him than I could. I, however, had things to do. I had places to be and humans to influence. But even with my busy schedule, I found the time to come see William more than once a week. Whenever I was in the area, I would stop by and say hello. The longest I went without him was a month and that was because, well, I'm Cupid. I can't count how many people fall in love every day. In my absence, though, William was never alone. He had Hallow, and she couldn't get enough of him. Naturally she didn't spend every waking moment with him (Hallow liked to wander), but she saw him even more than I did.

After two months of befriending the boy, I found the time to go to the Guardians and tell them all about it. All of them were overjoyed for me, and North even called for a celebration. I declined, though, because I felt that a huge celebration wasn't necessary. Plus, it wouldn't be the same without Hallow. So we skipped the party and went on about our lives.

That following weekend I thought it was about time to go to William's house to play with him. When I entered the town, Hallow was the first to greet me. She stood on her broomstick in front of me, pulling me to a stop. I flapped my wings in a rhythm to keep myself hovering above the ground. Upon seeing her, I had expected her to wear her trademark smile. She did not.

"Lovey, can I talk with you?" she asked. I agreed cautiously. Turning, she directed her broom to fly to a forest just a mile away from town. It was quiet there, with no humans in sight. Nothing to distract us or go through us.

We landed and I turned to her, defenses immediately going up. "Is Will all right?" I asked.

Hallow nodded, running her fingers through her short hair. "Yeah, he's fine," she said, dragging it on.

"So, what's wrong?" I asked, fear crawling up my spine. What if Pitch returned?

"Look, it's nothing huge, just…" She took a breath. "I've been watching Will closely this week, talking with him. Lovey, he doesn't have any friends, not even acquaintances. He's bullied and lonely, and…" I squinted at her, not understanding what she was saying. "The chance of us getting other believers is pretty slim."

I went quiet. In the time I had known William, I never mentioned gaining believers. Of course we told him about spirits and what we who and who we are, but we never pried about him talking other children into believing in us. I wanted to take my time and not make it look like we're using him to get believers. No, I wanted to hold on to this empowering feeling of having my first believer. I would have mentioned it sooner or later, but like Hallow I, too, was growing impatient.

I folded my arms and held my elbows, leaning against a tree, blowing my bangs upward. "That's okay," I said with finality. Hallow looked at me like I had two heads. "We will have more believers, Hallow. William will talk to others and get them to believe in us; we have plenty of time."

"But, Cupid…" Hallow started.

I understood her desperation, but I figured that I had endured this for over a thousand years, I could wait a little longer. Though Hallow didn't really like the idea, she went along with it.

Years passed and our friendship with William Robinson only grew. We continued to be his only friends. For that, others only thought he was stranger. People often caught him "talking to himself" and were instantly repelled. Even his parents were beginning to think he was crazy. Even with all the hate surrounding him, Will never changed. He was chipper and optimistic. Because he had us, he never let bullies get him down.

When he was twelve years old, his mother and father decided it was time to pack their things and move to a different village. Hallow helped him and was able to follow. I was not. In fact, I didn't even know they had moved until his name and a new location popped into my head. I could not have raced to England fast enough.

When I arrived at the location, William hid behind a tree, watching a pretty young girl play with dolls in her front lawn. A crush! He finally had a crush. It was a new town, new beginnings. It was perfect. "Hold still, William, okay?" I said, stringing an arrow.

At the sound of my voice, he turned and gasped, raising his hands in defense. "Cupid, what are you doing?" he asked frantically, but trying to keep his voice low at the same time.

"It seems that you've got your first crush." Before he could react, I shot him. His body absorbed the arrow and he curled in on himself instinctively. When he saw that no damage was one, the boy was surprised. I collected his Feelings into a vial and showed it to him. "See? No harm done." Looking over his shoulder, I watched the girl with him. "What brings you all the way over here?"

Will hid behind the tree and continued to stare at the girl. "We moved." He shrugged. "Hallow helped. That girl is my neighbor now. What's her name?" I had to smile. The way his eyes twinkled as he watched her every movement was cute.

"Her name is Elizabeth," I supplied. "Perhaps you should go talk to her?"

"T-talk to her? Oh, no, no, Cupid, I couldn't. I-"

Suddenly the girl looked up from her dolls and stared right at him. William let out a squeak and jumped behind the tree to hide further. I had no fear of hiding because it was only obvious that the girl had no idea I was there. When she cautiously came over, Will tried to run, but I wouldn't let him. He needed to stop being shy and start talking to girls, make friends.

They didn't date, of course, but the love was there. Moving to that village was good for him. The boy came out of his shell and got to know people more, made friends. There were still bullies, but like before, he could handle them.

The older William got, the more I visited him. Not because I wasn't busy, but because he liked more and more girls. He started dating at the age of fourteen. Lost his virginity at fifteen. All of his relationships ended in disaster. He either ended up cheating on the girl or the girl cheated on him or he was confused on his sexuality or they just grew apart. Whatever the reason, William's heart grew colder and colder.

Hallow and I were the only ones there for him. By the time he was seventeen, he had lost the majority of his friends. It was weighting on him. To make matters worse, Hallow and I were one of the reasons he was bullied. When he became a teenager and he found someone he could trust, he tried telling them about Hallow and Cupid and the Guardians, but they thought he was crazy.

One day, when I found the time to visit him, I found him crying in his room. I phased through the wall and stood before him. "Will? Are you all right?" I asked. I knew the answer, but I also knew that someone had to be there for him.

"She cheated on me," he sobbed, wiping his tears. "I can't believe it. After I gave my all to her!"

I sat beside him and took him into my arms. "I'm sorry," I said. "I wish I knew a way to protect you."

"Why don't you just…stop shooting me with your arrows?" he asked, grasping at straws. "My life would be so much better if I could just stop falling for people."

I shook my head. "I can't do that, Will. When I have a target, I have to shoot them. I can't give you special treatment just because I love you." He looked up at me and we stared into one another's eyes. "You're my only believer, Will. And I love you. But I have a job to do and I can't stray from it. I know the consequences."

"That's not fair!" he snapped, standing. "You're my best friend, Cupid. It couldn't hurt much to just not shoot a goddamn arrow for once."

I stood with him, frowning concernedly. "I'm sorry, Will. I just can't-"

"You know what, get out." He pointed a trembling finger to the wall. I wanted to say something that would convince him that I had to shoot him or who knows what the consequences were. But by his glare I knew there would be no talking to him. So I turned, phased through the wall, and took off into the sky.

* * *

It was nearly a month before I thought it wise to visit William again. He was so upset with me; I wasn't sure how long he needed. Something was changing about him, and I didn't like it. On the outside, the only thing different was how attractive he was. On the inside…I couldn't put my finger on it.

One day, as I thought about this, Hallow came to visit me. I was in Zimbabwe on duty. The spirit came with news as if she knew I was thinking about Will. "Cupid!"

I turned to her, storing away the Feelings in my pouch. "Hallow, what's the matter?" I asked.

She hopped off of her broom and came over to me. "It's Will," she said, narrowing her eyes. "I was spending the day with him just fine until he saw that ex-girlfriend of his with her new man."

"And?" My heart began to race.

"And he flipped!" she exploded. "He beat the crap out of that guy and almost hurt her if I hadn't stopped him."

I shook my head. "Hallow, that's-that's insane." I didn't want to believe that. "Will wouldn't-"

"He did, Cupid. I was there." Her fists were clenched. "Look, Cupid, I don't think it's a good idea that we stay with him. I know you've seen it, too; he's a control freak and a pervert."

"Don't you say that!" I snapped, surprising the both of us. "Will is a good person. He's just going through some hard times. We have to be there for him…"

Hallow shook her head. What she said made my eyes widen. "I'm through being there for him. We've been with him for so long and nothing we could have done could save him. He's not a safe person to be around."

"He's our first believer."

"I don't care."

"You should."

"He's dangerous, Cupid! I don't care if he's our first believer or not. It's been eleven years and we still don't have any other believers. And it's all because he's psycho." She paused, staring me down. When I didn't say anything, she continued, "I am _not_ going to stay with him. And I suggest you do the same."

I shook my head. "I can't do that. He's my friend. He's my only believer."

The Spirit of Halloween opened her mouth to say something sharp, but then she collected herself and narrowed her eyes. She dropped her broom, which never hit the ground. Instead it hovered in the air by her feet. "You do what you want, Lovey. But you better think if it's worth it or not."

With that warning, Hallow left me behind to mull on what to do next.

I honestly didn't know. I loved William. He was my first believer, my only believer. He brought me into his world when no one else could for the last thousand years. How could Hallow be so willing to leave him? She didn't understand. She hadn't endured a thousand years of this. I needed Will. I needed him to believe in me. I almost wanted to say I couldn't live without him.

One night, I asked Manny what I should do. He didn't answer. Over the last few centuries, he'd been quieter than ever. I took his silence as a chance to make my own decision. My decision? I would stay with William, no matter what Hallow said.

…Eight years passed and I still did not leave William's side. In fact, I became closer to him. I had to tell him that day that Hallow wouldn't be coming back. He begged me for forgiveness. What could I do? Of course I forgave him. I wouldn't give him up for anything. That, of course, was a bad move on my part. Because I spent so much more time with him to make up for Hallow's absence, something inside me awakened and took me over.

Love.

I didn't think it was possible. Sure, I was the epitome of love, but I didn't know I could actually fall in love with someone. I didn't let myself fall in love with Bunny, though I knew him all my life. But all it took was nineteen years with this handsome human man and I was hooked. How could I let this happen?

William, who never remotely showed he was interested in me; William, who was a womanizing egomaniac, stole my heart. I didn't want to love him. No! I tried to fight it as long as I could. I force-fed the truth to myself:

He's a human, you're a spirit.

He'll die without you.

He'll break your heart.

He'll never be with one person for long.

Even then, I couldn't help myself. I was rarely around him when he was with his new lover. But the times that I was, Will never excluded me. He didn't ignore me or pretend like I wasn't there. In fact, he tried to get the person he was with to believe in me. They had one of two reactions: They accepted the fact that he was insane, or they completely flipped. Whether I liked to admit it or not, I knew he blamed me for his failed relationships. But he never said so.

Instead, he allowed me to console him. Then, he got back up on his feet, and went back out into the world. It hurt me to be the one to tell him that the person he was with was in love with someone else. I was torn as to whether or not it was a good idea. In the end, I would be secretly blamed anyway.

For years, I longed to tell him how I felt. I wanted him to give up sleeping around and finally see that it was me who was there when no one else was. It was me who never gave up on him. It was me who let him cry on my shoulder. If he could just stop and see that I hated shooting him…

Sigh. There was no use in it. I kept quiet because I wanted him to realize it on his own. I would know when and if he ever fell for me. He never did.

When he was twenty-four, everything went downhill. His mother died that year, which brought him to alcoholism. He felt less love and more lust. The only good thing about this was that he never treated me any different. He cherished me when I was there, missed me when I was gone. I thought that as long as I was there for him when he needed me, everything would be fine. I could go on admiring from a distance. He would go on ignoring my feelings. I never made any moves for romance other than the occasional comforting kiss to the cheek. He never suspected.

By the following year, in 1889, I had accepted that we would never be together. What I did not accept was what would happen in the end.

It was a cool March night. I had just found the time to take to visit him. William had his own home in a big city. He owned a bank. He bought whatever he wanted. Bought everything money could buy, except love. As usual, he left his balcony unlocked for me. He had guards, butlers, and maids that would watch over the house. None of them said anything about why Master Robinson would talk to himself at random times of the day.

Inside his room, all was dark and quiet. I didn't turn on the light in fear of alerting the workers. Instead I left the balcony doors open, allowing moonlight to flood the room. Sometimes I liked to play with the lights. I was always so fascinated by electricity and technology. When I was human, we had no light bulbs or flushable toilets or any of those things. When William welcomed me into his life, he welcomed me into human evolution.

I sat on William's bed and plopped back onto the comfy mattress, spreading my wings. For hours, I did nothing but stare up at his canopy, wondering where he could be. The answer was most likely with his newest lover. This woman was his longest relationship. I almost thought that he would always be with her. That is, until I had to shoot her. And she did not fall in love with Will. No, she had another man on the side. I didn't have the heart to tell Will, so I didn't.

Just as I was debating if that was a good idea or not, I heard the workers' voices exclaiming in concern. I sat up in the bed and stood, turning to face the door. Suddenly, the door slammed open, making me jump, and William stumbled in. He didn't notice me at first. He turned to the maids and butlers and shouted, "Leave me alone, you insignificant curs! Or else I'll fire you all!"

All of them backed off with much reluctance. He slammed the door in their faces and locked it. Burying his face in his hands, he slid down the door and onto the floor. Upon seeing him, my heart naturally gave a flutter. His dark hair was naturally messy, his eyes always bright. Tonight his clothes were unkempt, his hair tangled. The smell of booze emanated from his firm and muscular body. I frowned. Oh, no. I knew what this meant.

I treaded closer to him, my sandals making no noise on the carpet. Before I could speak, he began to cry. "Will…?" I whispered cautiously.

With a gasp, he looked up at me. His expression changed so many times. At first, he looked like he didn't recognize me, and then there was a softness in his face. Then thoughtfulness and finally he glared. Standing on his feet, he growled, "Cupid…" Apparently he got up too quickly because he quickly lost his footing. I hurried forward and helped kept him steady.

"Will, what's wrong? Are you all right?" I asked. I can't tell you how many times I've said that to him.

He swiped at me and I backed away. "Get away from me, you evil angel!" he shouted.

I raised my hands in defense. "Will…Will, it's me Cupid. Lovey, remember?"

"I know very well who you are." I had never seen so much sadness in his eyes. He leaned against his dresser for support. "You're the one who's ruined my life."

My eyes widened and my heart stopped. He stumbled around his dresser, going through his drawers for I-didn't-know-what.

"It was you; it was all your fault," he slurred, throwing clothes here and there. "Ever since I met you, you've been nothing but trouble. You and that Hallow bitch."

I winced at his words. "Please, Will, you don't mean that," I tried. I came forward to stop him. "You're drunk. You-"

"_Don't touch me!"_ he shouted, shoving back so hard I fell. I sat there, eyes incredulous. He'd never laid hands on me before. It took a moment for him to register what he'd done. For a moment, he looked regretful, but then he glared on hatefully. "No matter how many times I asked you to stop, you kept making me…_feel._ You kept making me want and need these whores. You wouldn't stop. You wouldn't just let me be alone."

He started crying again and I stood. "Please don't cry," I whispered. I had never seen him like this before. "Please don't cry. Just lie down and we can talk calmly."

In one swift movement, Will came forward and slammed me against the wall across the way, pinning me there by my arms. His hands squeezed my biceps, making me wince. His lips came to my ear, where he hissed, "Don't. speak. I do not want to hear you anymore."

I immediately went quiet. The whole room was silent a moment. And then he moved. One hand went to my waist, one went to my throat. I grabbed his shoulders tightly and pushed, trying to get him to let go. Before I could cry out an objection, his lips came down onto mine. The kiss was forceful and lustful. I didn't kiss back nor did I reject him. I was frozen. I didn't know what to do. I seemed to be in a trance until his hand tightened around my throat.

I winced and pulled away. I relished his kiss, but this was wrong. He was drunk and heartbroken. He was incoherent and I didn't want that. But even after I pulled away, he pressed against me, trailing kisses from my cheek to my collarbone, all the while, never relinquishing his grip on my throat. I struggled to get away. "Will, stop!" I exclaimed to deaf ears. When I felt his teeth nip my collarbone, I tried shoving him with all my might.

Suddenly, his hand whipped across my cheek. My eyes opened wide and I stood there with a stinging cheek. When I finally willed myself to look at him, tears were in his eyes. "I _hate_ you," he growled. He backed away from me, shaking his head, sending his tears to the floor. "I love you. I-I'm _in_ love with you, but I…I hate you. So much."

He wasn't making any sense. Tears formed in my eyes, as well. I took a step forward just as he bumped into his dresser. He turned quickly and went rummaging again. "Will, I'm so confused," I croaked, clutching my head. My brain felt like it was pounding against my skull. "Please stop this. What is going on?"

He didn't answer me, just kept muttering to himself – "Your fault, your fault. She cheated on me. All your fault." – until he found it.

His revolver.

I halted in my tracks. The man turned to me, putting the barrel to his head. His eyes showed there was nothing there but hysteria. He said nothing, just shook his head and smiled.

"Will. No…"

"You told me you loved tragic romances, right?" he asked.

"Will. No!"

I raced forward to stop him. I had to! I had to stop him! I-!

_Bang._

I came to a sudden halt. Blood and organs spattered against the wall. Will collapsed to the ground, blood quickly forming a puddle beneath him, staining the carpet. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't breathe. I fell to my knees, trembling uncontrollably. That didn't happen. That didn't just happen. That couldn't have. Will…he…

I crawled forward on my hands and knees, ignoring the warm liquid that squished beneath my palms. I wanted to say something – _anything_ – that might make him sit up and smile that smile I fell in love with, but my voice was choked, lost in my throat. I sat there for a long while, just staring at his lifeless form. At the door, servants were screaming, shouting, pounding on the door. Outside, sirens were wailing. All was chaos, except in the room.

All was quiet. It was just the two of us, yet it was really only me. Tears poured down my cheeks on their own. I hiccupped, choking on tears and emotions I had never felt before. Reaching forward, I went to touch him one last time. He was pale and stiff.

But when my hand got to his cheek, I went right through him. I gasped sharply and scrambled forward, trying to touch him anywhere I could. But I couldn't. I went right through him as if he never believed in me. He was gone now. Forever.

I clutched my aching chest and curled into myself. My screams of anguish went unheard by all.


	13. Cloud Nine

**Cloud Nine**

Nothing. For weeks, I felt nothing. I did nothing. I said nothing. I hid from the world. Ran from my duties. Ignored the man in the sky. I didn't want to hear what he had to say. Didn't want to hear what anyone had to say. Time was meshing together. Life went on, though William's didn't. I wanted everything to stop. At least for a while. Why couldn't anyone allow me my privacy?

That was all I wanted. I wanted to be alone. No, I didn't want to be alone; I wanted to be with Will again. I wanted to see his smile, dry his tears, hold him once more. His kiss left a bitter taste in my mouth I couldn't wash away. I screamed often. Screaming and crying was all I knew how to do. I don't think there was a time my eyes were dry for more than five minutes. My throat was raw from how many times I screamed.

I screamed whenever I saw the scene in my head. It replayed often. All the blood, all the gore…

If I ever ate, I might have vomited. I didn't sleep, so I had no escape from reality. I had to continue on with life hovering over me like a dark cloud.

_Why?_ I wondered that every single day. Why did this happen? What could I have done to prevent this? Should I have ignored the possibilities of consequence and never made Will feel for so many people? It was true, what he said. It was my fault. His death was avoidable. If he never met me…If I didn't get attached to him, or if I listened to him…He would still be here. It was all my fault. All my fault. All my fault…

I sat in Paris, France the entire time. The City of Love. The citizens were building a majestic tower of which I'd never seen. Within the time I spent watching them, they finished on the very last day of March. They called it the Eiffel Tower. It glowed brighter than anything I'd ever seen. All I could think of was how much I longed for Will to be there with me, to see its beauty with me.

I sat in clear view of the world, yet everyone who passed went through me. Like I wasn't there. Like I didn't exist. I might as well have not been alive. For the rest of the month and a week into April, I didn't hear from my spirit friends. I was fine with that. I didn't want to talk to them anyway.

Tooth wouldn't understand. Sandy had no words. North's careful vernacular wouldn't help. Would Bunny be glad that the man I was in love with was gone? What about Hallow? Did she even know that Will was...? Did she care? She must have. She wasn't heartless.

Every night until I was found, I would sit and wonder; sit and watch the lightshow; sit and cry. One night, as I sat and did nothing, I was finally found.

"I should have looked in France first, huh?" she said. It was Hallow. She stood behind me, watching my next move, awaiting my response. She got none. "So, why Paris of all places?" She crossed her arms and stood beside me. Her orange eyes admired the grand structure before us.

My chin rested on my knees, my arms wrapped around my stomach. My red eyes were locked on the Eiffel Tower, but I was looking at nothing. At first I didn't think I would answer, could answer. But I found my voice, hoarse and light. "It's the City of Love," I answered. "I wanted to see this…Tower…" It was a weak defense. Honestly, it was the first place I fell while I was uselessly trying to fly away.

Hallow thought about this a moment. She knew I was lying. She knew there was a story behind my puffy eyes, weak voice, and lifeless expression. She chose to approach the question with caution. "You know, we've been looking for you," she said, "me, Bunny, and Sandy. We were worried." I stayed quiet. She smiled. "You play a mean game of hide-and-go-seek. Have you been here the whole time?"

I wasn't in the mood for jokes. I wasn't in the mood for anything.

When Hallow realized this, she sighed deeply and ran her fingers through her short hair. "Alright, I give. What happened?" Still, I said nothing. "The world hasn't heard from Cupid in over a month. What gives?"

Oh. That's right. I was supposed to bring love to the world. I neglected the universe for over a month. It felt like an eternity. I thought about it – why I went into hiding – and tears came to my eyes. I was so tired of crying, but I couldn't stop. A question was asked and I had to tell her sooner or later. The words spilled from my mouth without my consent. My voice quaked, but I told her all about what happened that night. I sobbed and got choked up during, but I had to keep going. I had to let her know what happened. I had to tell her that _I_ was the reason that William Robinson isn't here anymore.

Hallow said nary a word. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. When I dared to look up at her, I saw a few tears slip from her eyes, which she hastily rubbed away. We were quiet for a long time. Hallow waited until my shoulders stopped heaving and I stopped bawling so loudly. My hands clutched at my long hair. When the time came, she spoke. And her words pierced me like a blade.

"I told you so."

I gasped and looked up at her, mouth agape. She dried her eyes, but didn't face me, as if she couldn't look me in the eyes. "I hate to see you hurt, Lovey. And I definitely didn't want Will to off himself. But I warned you a long time ago. You didn't want to listen. While his death wasn't your fault, you did allow yourself to get attached to him, a human. Next time, keep your believers just what they are. Believers. Your friends are the ones here."

Her words hurt so much not because they were cold and unsympathetic, but because they were the truth. Hallow never had a way of telling me what I wanted to hear. That was one thing I liked about her. But at a time like this…it made me hate her. I looked away and stared at my hands. Dried blood was still in the creases of my palms. His blood. I burst into a fit of woe once more. Hallow fell to her knees by my side, and while she didn't cry, she did pull me into her arms. I clutched her gauze and wept into her chest. She said nothing, only stroked my hair. Will may be gone, but the rest of my friends were still here.

…The Guardians were more sympathetic than Hallow. They all took the time out of their busy schedules to let me talk to them and tell them what happened – even Tooth. Bunny showed no signs of hurt, but instead was the most concerned. He knew what it was like to lose those you love. He knew that pain when he lost his entire clan of Pooka to Pitch. I wondered at that time if he'd ever had a girlfriend or even a Pooka wife that was torn from him. If that was true, then we were on the same boat. But I still had to wonder: How long would it take me to heal from this?

Well, it certainly wasn't a year. By the time it was the next year, I had gotten back into the groove of going on about my duties. Though I did it lethargically, I got the work done. I had to work twice as hard to catch up with the amount I missed during my inert state. It was worth it, though. Work kept my mind busy, kept me thinking about things other than Will.

But I did think of him every day. The love I brought reminded me of him all the time. It reminded me of what could have been and what should not have been. It reminded me that no matter if I was there or not, life and love would go on. And sometimes I hindered more than helped.

So, my duty equally assisted and worsened my situation. One thing that hadn't changed was my mood. I had never been so serious in my life. I didn't laugh, didn't crack a smile at anything. Every day, I would halt everything that I was doing just because I saw that bullet go through his head again and again and again. Hallow tried to stay by my side and cheer me up, but after a while, she saw that the only thing that could help me was time. She left me by myself and I was grateful for that.

For the longest time, I didn't want to talk to anyone. I didn't want to unless they were William himself. Manny seemed to be the only one who could respect this completely. Every now and again, the Guardians would pop by and see how I was doing. I acted like I was so busy that I didn't have time for them, but they all understood. They all knew. But my friends were persistent and worried.

I was beginning to think that I would never be over him. That his passing would haunt me for the rest of my existence, though that was unlikely. Manny must have sensed my terror, though, because it was he who gifted me with something no one else could.

One night, I exited a man's home, and suddenly the directions in my head ceased. I looked to the moon, knowing he had something to do with it. I was confused. Why would he want me to stop the only thing that remotely took my mind off the traumatic events I'd experienced? In reply, a moonbeam drifted down from the moon's glow. I had only heard stories about Manny sending down moonbeams. It was nothing but a translucent ball of mist. It hovered in the air in front of me a moment. We seemed to have a staring contest for a few minutes.

Only when I allowed my bow to disappear from my hand did the moonbeam move. It dashed off into the sky, heading east. I was curious and suspicious. I looked to Manny for an answer. Though he didn't say a word, I knew he wanted me to follow the wisp. So, launching myself into the sky, I followed the moonbeam as it swerved through various countries, leading me to I-didn't-know-what. It was when we arrived in Paris, France, that I found our destination. I came to a sudden halt in mid-air, eyes widened, wings flapping to keep airborne. When did _that_ get there?

There perched on top of the Eiffel Tower was a cloud. Resting on the cloud was an odd building of some sort. Inquisitive, I ventured closer. The building was large and spherical. It was a creamy pink color. In color and texture it was similar to a child's marble. The roof was a purple cone spire. I dared to set foot on the cloud holding the house steady and found that it was solid. Soft, but solid, like a pillow. The moonbeam was waiting for me at the door-less entrance. The entrance was shaped like a heart, nine feet high. The border of the entrance was made of gold with intricate designs.

I looked from the moonbeam to the door. It bounced up and down as if nodding. Gulping, I went inside. And my mind was blown! The outside was large, but not _this_ large! Inside the building looked almost the size of North's workshop. What kind of magic did Manny have to do to do _this?!_

For the first time in a year, I broke in a smile, having the wind knocked out of me. The inside was round, the walls pink. A beautiful crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling. Lounges and loveseats were placed in the rounded corners of the room for relaxation. In the very middle of the room, underneath the chandelier, was what looked like a well. I went over to it and peered inside. The water inside wasn't water at all; it was constantly rippling, foggy.

The moonbeam and I exchanged a glance. I had a sudden idea of what it might be. Using the tip of my finger, I touched the surface of the water with a location in mind. The water rippled more violently, and then an image appeared – the very same I was thinking of. The Eiffel Tower, live in action, appeared in the water. I laughed incredulously, tangling my fingers in my hair. "Wow! It's like my mirror!"

_But only locations,_ the moonbeam said. Its voice was a whisper. I was glad it finally spoke up. I laughed once more and took a look around. What was this enchanted place? What else would I find? At the far end of the room, there was no wall, but definitely another room. From where I stood, it looked like…a garden? I moved around the well, towards the room, but the moonbeam flew in front of me as if to block my way. Its body shook from side to side, then it drifted toward a wide, arced door to my left.

"You want me to go that way first?" I asked, pointing. Its body nodded and it zoomed for the door. Though I was curious about the garden, I decided that the moonbeam must know what it's doing, so I followed it. Through the doorway, I found that I was in another circular room.

The only thing occupying this room was seven doors. White, smooth, with heart-shaped knobs made of ruby. Above each door in pretty cursive were the names of continents. Beneath the names were numbers I soon recognized as the year. I went over to the first door to my left, "Antarctica." I started to open the door, but then I found that it was locked. Furrowing my brow, I struggled with the knob, nearly tearing the door off its hinges. The moonbeam let out a laugh that sounded like a sigh. I looked to it, and it glided over to touch my hand.

Nothing happened, but when the moonbeam pulled away, I was able to open the door! I gasped in astonishment and hurried inside. The room was endless! The ceiling was high, high above us. The rounded walls were odd. I approached it and found that in rows of thousands were small, square drawers. I knelt to the lowest row and saw that it was blank. Frowning, I flew up to the very top. On each drawer was a name and a drawn face. Tilting my head curiously, I opened one and found that it was empty. In the drawer were holes where vials of Feelings no doubt went.

Understanding immediately, I shuffled through my sack and pulled out every vial that had this person's name. I placed each vial in its correct place with the most recent in front and the older ones in back. Grinning, I turned to the moonbeam once more. "Is this right?" I asked. "Is this what these drawers are for?"

The moonbeam nodded. I laughed, letting myself drift to the ground. On my feet touched the floor, I went through various drawers to find that they were all empty. And then it hit me. I grimaced and looked to the moonbeam. "I…have to fill each and every one of these, don't I?"

It nodded.

"Starting with when I first became Cupid?"

It nodded again and I screamed in frustration.

Saving the hard work to come for later, I followed the moonbeam out of the storage and to another location. "So, the year above the doors," I said, "does that mean I can go through each year in each continent?" The blue wisp only nodded once again.

We passed through the parlor once again and though I was anxious to see this garden, the moonbeam insisted there was one more place for me to see. Across the room from the storage was another doorway. This one led to a completely unexpected room: a bedroom. In the middle of the room, set against the wall, was a large bed – heart-shaped with black pillows and red silk blankets. From the high ceiling was another chandelier. To my right, a tall bookshelf filled with books already rested against the wall. To my left, there was a huge harp, just waiting for me to learn to play it. On the wall also was a single shelf for knickknacks. Then by my bed was a nightstand.

I wandered around the room, deeply touched. Manny did this all for me. He didn't have to, but he knew that it's what would get me smiling again. I sat on the bed, running my hand over the blankets. A home to call my own. My own domain. Just like the Guardians. Blinking at a sudden idea, I asked, "Wait, I'm Cupid. I don't have time to sit down for a long period of time and relax. Why give me this when I'll hardly use it?"

The moonbeam said nothing, but zoomed out of the room. It was time to see the garden! I ran after it, skidding around the corner out of my room all the way to that vast room. Inside was beautiful. The tile beneath my feet came to a stop when it met dirt. The room was filled with giant tulips of every color and shade. The petals were as big as my head. All seemed to be just about ready to bloom. This room had only three walls, allowing me to see outside perfectly.

At the moment, I was more interested in the tulips. Sure, they were beautiful, but what was their real purpose? Why were they so big? I went over to the closest one, a sky blue one. After careful examination that nothing was out of the ordinary about it except its size, I ran a delicate finger across the smooth petal. Red sparkles followed my finger's wake. I immediately pulled my finger back, startled. Slowly, the flower began to blossom. The petals opened in all directions and in the center…slept a baby.

I let out a gasp upon seeing him, not expecting a baby of all things to be there! Around his waist was a white cloth. His hair was gold and extremely curly. On his back were small white wings. And then he opened his eyes – eyes the color of sapphires. He blinked his long eyelashes and looked up at me. I was left breathless at how adorable and beautiful he was. The baby returned my smile and opened his mouth to speak, but the only sound that came was a jingling bell.

I let out a breathy laugh and knelt beside him as he sat up and stretched, as if he had been merely sleeping the whole time. He was only about two feet tall, slightly chubby as babies are. "Hello, there," I said gently. "Did you sleep well?"

The baby opened his mouth, and though both the moonbeam and I heard a bell, I also heard an answer: "Yes, mother." My eyes widened yet again in shock, and I turned to look at the moonbeam. It only tilted its body.

"Did you hear that?" I asked incredulously. "He spoke to me!"

The moonbeam shook its body as a "no," and I burst out laughing. I felt as though I was finally going insane. And perhaps I was. But it was real; it was all real. Manny went to great lengths, centuries of work, to make all of this happen. The cherub fluttered his wings, hovering above me. I stood and hugged him closely. His voice jingled again in a laugh. When I finally released him, he turned to look at the other flowers – and the cherubs that no doubt slept inside. "Won't you wake up my brothers?" he jingled.

He held on to my finger with his whole hand as I turned to the moonbeam. "Am I supposed to wake all of them?" I asked.

The moonbeam nodded, and I set about to work, waking all of the cherubs. They were all so happy to see me, all calling me mother. Once all the cherubs were awakened – around one hundred in total! – I sat down and watched them mingle with one another. Many came to sit by me, all eagerly asking questions, some just curling up to hold me. It must have been odd for the moonbeam because all it could hear was little bells. My heart warmed in my chest. I wondered if this was what it was like to be a mother.

I noticed, looking around, that the color of each cherub's eyes depended on the color of the flower they were born from, but all resembled gems: sapphires, rubies, amethysts, emeralds, you name it. The cherubs were beautiful and precious. And they were mine. Finally, I had something that I could own. I had a home and I had children to care for.

Eventually, the moonbeam had to go back home, too. I walked it to the exit on the other side of the room. The cherubs followed us, seeing their first friend off. The little orb waved and flew off into the sky, back to the moon where it belonged. Once it was out of sight, I focused on Manny.

"How can I ever thank you, Manny?" I asked.

He didn't reply. Only smiled down as he always had to the world.


	14. Jack Frost

**Author's Note: Surprise! :D Jack's here early! Enjoy!**

**Jack Frost**

A decade after moving into Cloud Nine, I met him. It was the early winter of 1900. That day was like any other. Never did I ever expect to meet a spirit that would change me forever…

Every month, one hundred cherubs were born. One day, when I sat down to talk to some of them, I was told that cherubs were born when humans died when they were in love. But by the number of cherubs a month and the number of people in the world, I knew there should be more cherubs. However, I didn't question it. I was grateful for the babies that I had. I loved them each for all that they were and all that they did for me.

With them, I was never alone. We were all ridiculously busy, but now I had the ability to say "Hey, I'm tired. I think I'll take a break!" The cherubs did all the work for me. 364 days out of the year, they went into the world and made humans fall in love. The only day that _every_ cherub was allowed to take a break was Valentine's Day. Then it was my turn to get out of the house and do what I did best. When it wasn't Valentine's Day, and I was inside, it was my job to go through the last 1,631 years and place _everyone's_ Feelings in their proper place.

The hard part was that the vials kept coming. Thankfully there were plenty of cherubs to go around, and I wasn't alone in the process. They helped me an awful lot with everything I did, no matter what it was. Unfortunately, despite all the help I was getting, I still hadn't made it passed the year 272.

Storing and relaxing wasn't the only thing I did in Cloud Nine. I had another duty to fulfill and that was caring for the unborn cherubs. They were born on the first of every month. Every day, I took the time to hang out with them as they slept. I would tell them stories or play the harp and sing for them or just talk to them. And then, in the end, when they were born, it felt good to be called "mother," and be treated like one.

My friends were just as excited as I was. After the first year of living in Cloud Nine, we had a celebration. Even Leprechaun and the charming April Fool came! It was the only time Hallow was allowed near the Guardians in the last hundred-plus years. Aster brought his chocolates and North brought cookies. The cherubs played whimsical instruments and we all had a grand time, even though it wasn't anything too particularly exciting. Tooth was especially fascinated with the cherubs. Her fairies played with the cherubs like children would. It was funny because to everyone else, the cherubs sounded like bells and the fairies only squeaked.

Out of all of them, you can guess that it was Hallow who stayed with me the most. Though she had her own home, she said that she liked mine better. Sometimes she helped with assorting the Feelings; other times she preferred to lounge around my luxurious hideout. The cherubs tried teaching her to play the harp, but she got fed up with it after a while. Hallow was always restless, so after a year or so of hanging around Cloud Nine, she started leaving regularly again – to take care of her home or have fun amongst humans. She always came back, though.

So did Bunny. In fact, he came to visit me quite often. Of course I went to the Warren every Easter just to stop by and say hello, but that was really the only time I got to see him. One day in September, just two years after I moved into Cloud Nine, I heard the jingling of chattering cherubs. I thought it was Hallow, so I called out my location. The door opened and instead of a quip from Hallow, I received a thickly accented, "Now hold on here, _this_ is where ya've been all these months? Cooped up in a storage room instead of seeing me?"

I spun around to see Bunny's smile. It felt like so long, I ran into his arms. His fur was as soft and warm as ever. I couldn't suppress the grin pulling at my cheeks. "I missed you!" I exhaled, snuggling further into his chest. "I'm so, so sorry I haven't come to visit you, I just-"

The Pooka laughed and patted my head, pulling away. "It's fine, Lovey, you know I was messin' with ya." He took a moment to study me and his smile softened. "Look at ya, sheila. You don't know how happy I am to see that smile again."

Warmth crept up to my cheeks as tears dared to corner my eyes. In all honesty, I was glad to be smiling again too. It seemed that a home and a family was just what I needed to lift my spirits. Well, they do say "Home is where the heart is," or so I hear. William Robinson had only entered my thoughts every so often. I had grown accustomed to thinking of the better days when he was happy and we were together. It hurt, but it was nice to know that it wasn't just pain and sadness whenever I was with him.

When Bunny reminded me of the incident, I think it was the first time I thought of Will that I didn't feel a twinge of hurt. And that was good. I was making progress.

I spent most of the day with Bunny that day. I took a break from sorting to just catch up with him, hanging out in my room. We were just talking about taking a walk around Paris when Hallow's voice interrupted suddenly. "Hey, Lovey! Where are you?" she called.

"In my room, Hallow!" I replied. I did a double-take to see that Bunny's expression fell. Before I could ask, Hallow walked in and her smile, too, slipped. There was tension in the room all of the sudden and I didn't like it. Hallow wasn't supposed to be anywhere near the Guardians, but she had no idea Bunny was even here. It was an honest mistake, but a bad one.

Although at the party, it seemed like no one else harbored a grudge against Hallow, Bunny was the only one to hint that he still disliked her. You can tell she's been trying to ignore it, but with just the three of us, there was no escaping Bunnymund's green-eyed glare. This time, the Halloween spirit didn't shy from his stare. She braced herself, clenching her fists, triggering Bunny to stand from the bed. His six feet was intimidating, no doubt about that, yet Hallow stood her ground. Amazing that in this silence so much more was being said though not spoken.

I stood as well, placing a hand on Bunny's bicep. Donning a jolly smile, I turned to Hallow. "Hey, you!" I exclaimed. "I missed you. It's been a while."

Hallow seemed to relax slightly. "Yeah, uh, you too," she said uneasily.

Hesitantly, Bunny turned from Hallow to turn to me. "I'll see ya later, Lovey," he said, patting my head. Then crouching on all fours, he hurried out of Cloud Nine. (Since we were aboveground, there was no way he could open a tunnel.)

After he left, Hallow let out a deep breath that she'd been apparently holding. I giggled a bit, and she ran her fingers through her hair. "That was a close one," she muttered.

I went over to her and patted her back. "Indeed," I agreed, "but I told you, you have nothing to worry about. Bunny would never try anything in front of me."

Hallow chuckled. "Oh, yes, he would _never_ want to _defile_ his image in the mind of his _precious_ angel," she said dramatically, using her broom to lift her into the air and drop herself on my bed. She laughed at my expense as she bounced on the bed. My cheeks warmed and I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, please, you know how I feel about that." To distract myself, I went over to my shelf and checked my always-perfect hair in North's mirror. Unfortunately that was the same mirror that showed you who you were thinking of, and my image rippled to show me that Bunny was back in his Warren. I quickly placed the mirror on the shelf face-down. Thankfully Hallow didn't see.

My best friend continued to tease me about being the source of a Pooka's affection for a while until we bored of that. After that, things calmed down and we didn't have much to talk about. I suggested that we take a look at a relationship I was interested in, but Hallow was more a girl of doing than seeing. She wanted me to go out into the world and have fun, but I knew that I had a duty to perform. Even talking with her was taking time out of sorting through Feelings. It wasn't just the cherubs' burden to carry.

Hallow didn't understand that. She figured that since I had this place and the boys at my whim that I should be able to go out and have fun. That was not the case. I wanted to have fun every once in a while, but there is a time and place for that. I could take days off every so often, but most of the time I preferred to be tied to my home and family. I felt that I had to. MiM never instructed me to stay home and never go out, but that was the cycle I fell into. That just had to be understood by everyone sooner or later.

I suppose it was harder for the Guardians, considering I'd spent the last 900-plus years doing my own thing outside in the open air. However it seemed that Hallow was the one who couldn't accept it the most. Over the years, she came around more and more often, and then her visits gradually became less and less. After a decade of living at Cloud Nine, I saw her often, but not as often as the early days.

So one random day in the magical year of 1900 when Hallow came to visit, I understood why we were growing apart.

I was taking a little break in my room, lying on my stomach on my bed. North's mirror in hand, I watched raptly as my absolute favorite relationship took a turn for the worse. It was taking place right here in Paris, but I was content with watching from afar. The woman was a prostitute who fell in love with an English writer. Currently, her manager discovered their secret love. I audibly gasped as he told her that she could not be with the boy. The cherubs beside me jingled (or screamed) in horror.

We leaned closer in anticipation, but just as the poor woman fainted, a group of cherubs flew into the room, bells jingling in garbled speech. I sat up and the mirror's reflection returned. They informed me that a box of Feelings had been dropped in 272 of Africa. Reluctantly setting the mirror down, I hurried off to the storage room to help pick up the mess. As I ran passed the foyer, Hallow jumped off her broom.

"Hey, Cue!" she greeted, catching her balance. "What's the rush?"

"Oh, hi, Hallow, the cherubs dropped some Feelings now there's a big mess."

She followed me into the rooms. "Oh, man, that's bad. Did they break?"

I explained to her briefly that the vials are indestructible, but the box held a lot of various Feelings, so they need to be set in order again. The cherubs and I went picked up the vials, pairing up those that went together. Hallow picked up a few lazily, all the while telling me about how snow should be coming here soon and it was a cold one. She babbled on about where she just was and the kids she had played with. I listened, but also exchanged a few words with the cherubs as they looked around for matches to their vials.

Finally, Hallow scoffed. "Are you listening to me?" she asked, pouting. She sat on her broomstick, keeping her feet just a few inches above the ground.

I read the names of two vials, handing one to a cherub and collecting the other in my hand. "Of course I am, Hallow. You stole their candy."

Hallow paused a moment, studying me with those odd orange eyes. A cherub fluttered over to her and gathered the vials she held. She was quiet a while and then she looked down to her hands folded in her lap. "You're so different, Cue," she muttered. A bit shocked, I blinked and looked up at her. She briefly glanced up and then went on. "I mean, ever since you got Cloud Nine, you've been so busy and all up-tight. Not as busy as you were before this place, but…now it kind of hurts 'cause you can go anywhere and do anything, but you always want to stay here instead."

I frowned. "I just want to get this work done," I said feebly.

"Oh, come on! It's not like we don't have eternity to get it done!" she exclaimed, leaning back precariously on the broomstick.

I shrugged. "I like being here," I admitted. "I'm sorry if I'm upsetting you, but this is my home. I-I haven't had a place to call 'home' in over a thousand years, Hallow." My voice took on a tone of desperation. I loved Hallow and I never wanted to hurt anyone. I didn't know how else I could tell her to let her understand.

But apparently being upfront about it wasn't enough. The pain in her eyes pierced me. Hallow sighed deeply and hopped off her broom. "Yeah, yeah…" she mumbled deplorably. Being cautious of the vials scattered on the floor, she sulked out of the room. I stood and started to go after her, but once she made it to the parlor, she took the back way out, through the garden and was gone.

After that, my mind was deeply distracted. I finished cleaning up the mess with the cherubs and then I went to my room to lie down. Spreading my wings, I lay on my back, hands behind my head, staring at the ceiling. I wondered for a while what I could do to make Hallow feel better before I finally reprimanded myself. I should listen to her and go out more often. The cherubs would understand if I wanted to go out more.

But I wouldn't go after her. I would wait until she calmed down and came back. Then I would show her we could go back to how we used to be, and then some! With that decision, I allowed myself to relax and go back to watching my various romances on North's mirror.

For about an hour, all was normal in Cloud Nine. The cherubs went on about their business, chatting in their odd voices as they went along with their duties. They flew in an out of the domain, carting arrows and vials. That day, I didn't expect anything amazing his to happen. But that's normally when fate gets you.

I set down the mirror and stood from bed, stretching, when all of the sudden the cherub's excited jingles filled the air. I blinked at hearing the unnatural amount of bells and hurried out the door to the foyer. I thought it was Hallow, back from venting, but instead I was caught off guard by the boy the cherubs crowded around.

His hair was as white as snow; his skin a hypothermic pale. In his hand, he carried a hooked staff, caked with snow and frost. He wore a white long sleeve under a brown vest and cloak. His brown trousers were bound with strap-like material starting from the knee down to the rather tattered and frayed bottom. That's when I noticed that he was barefoot and I furrowed my brow. Shifting my eyes back up to his face, our eyes met and I felt frozen.

His icy blue eyes stared into mine and my heart skipped a beat. His lips parted slightly as if he was going to say something that was suddenly lost in his throat. To stare into his eyes was like staring into a frozen lake. And I was afraid of falling through the ice.

The cherubs looked from me to the boy then back and forth again. Slowly each of them smiled. Shaking my head and snapping out of whatever trance I had been struck into, I approached the boy who looked to be younger than me – maybe about seventeen or eighteen.

"Hello," I said cheerfully, studying his scrawny body, "who are you? Can I assist you with anything?" I extended my hand to him, holding the other behind my back.

The pale boy studied me a moment before a playful smirk found his face and he accepted my hand. His cold touch contradicted my warmth. "I'm Jack Frost. Sorry for intruding; I just found this place. Don't know how I missed it before."

Jack Frost? I vaguely recalled hearing that name once upon a time ago. _You don't want Jack Frost nipping at your nose,_ mothers would say. I never expected him to be real like the rest of the spirits. Yet here he was in front of me, in the flesh. And, _wow. _I couldn't take my eyes off of him.

While I was thinking of something intelligent to say, he spoke again: "So who are you? And what exactly is this place?" To my dismay, he released my hand and wandered about the room, resting his staff on his shoulder.

"O-oh, right! How rude of me!" I stuttered, blushing. "I'm Cupid and this is my domain, Cloud Nine."

Jack Frost stopped walking and turned to me. "I'm sorry – Cupid?" he asked incredulously.

I nodded, folding my hands behind my back. "That's right. Keeper of Valentine's Day, bringer of love."

He blinked a few times and then laughed a bit, strutting around once more. I carefully watched the way he walked, so graceful and light on his feet. "Sorry. I just always pictured Cupid as a guy."

I nodded, pursing my lips, restraining a growl. "Yes…I get that a lot," I said simply.

Jack Frost hopped up onto the brim of the well and peered inside the foggy water. His nimble movements startled me a bit, but I kept my mouth shut. "What's this thing do?" he asked, tilting his head. The unintentional innocence behind this gesture sent butterflies through me. I smiled softly and went over to him, instructing him to think of any place. Though he was confused, he did. When I tapped the surface, he nearly jumped in surprise. The image in the water rippled, revealing a still lake in a forest. I smiled at his reaction.

The attractive boy breathed a laugh and ran his fingers through his hair. I betted it was as soft as a snow rabbit's. "Well, that's fairly interesting," he said, turning to me. "What other crazy stuff do you have here?"

My heart fluttered, though I didn't let it show. Jack Frost – the handsome, mysterious Old Man Winter – was interested in what I did. Though I almost expected it, it did take me by pleasant surprise.

So, without hesitation, I replied, "Let me show you."


	15. Love

**Love**

I led Jack Frost on a tour of Cloud Nine, keeping close to him the whole way through. He was raptly interested in everything about me and the palace and I was deeply intrigued by everything about him. I had seen many attractive men in the last thousand years, but none so quite like Jack. I couldn't place my finger on it, but he was different. In appearance, in personality, in everything he was. There was no one like Jack Frost. Perhaps it was because he was a spirit, too? Did that common factor of ours make him that much more desirable?

I didn't know, but I didn't care about the specifics. Who needed them? I was willing to accept that there was an extremely handsome young man in my home and he wanted to know me as much as I wanted to know him. As the winter spirit and I spent some time together in Cloud Nine, I completely forgot about everything else. The only thing I wanted to focus on was how I was going to get him to hold my hand again.

After showing him the storage room and the garden, I led him to my bedroom where he explored the objects I'd procured over the years. I sat on my bed as he strummed my harp curiously, smiling at the whimsical sounds it made.

"So how long have you been around, Cupid?" he asked, examining my hourglass.

"Since the year 269," I answered, leaning back on my arms.

His dazzling blue eyes widened and he turned to me. "T-two-hundred-sixty-nine?" he asked incredulously. "That's, like, over a thousand years! You only look like you're twenty!"

I giggled behind my hand. "Yes, and I'll be staying this way for the rest of eternity." I shrugged. "You should be looking like that forever, too, Jack Frost. When were you born?" I tilted my head curiously. I sure hoped he would look this handsome forever. If I could just look at that face every day, I wouldn't have any complaints.

Jack found the button on top of the hourglass and pressed it, watching time tick away, fascinated. "Well, it's been 188 years, so…" He looked up in thought, clicking the button again and setting down the hourglass. "It was the year 1712." The chandelier above our heads caught his eye and he flew up to examine it closely.

"You're pretty young, compared to the other spirits," I noted, going over to the wall where a switch was placed on the wall. With the press of a button, I flicked off and on the lights of the chandelier, demonstrating the insane technology I'd barely gotten used to. Jack Frost grinned at the flickering lights and flew down beside me to rapidly turn the lights on and off. I laughed and shook my head. "I'm still captivated by electricity myself."

He turned to me, crossing his arms. "I'm surprised considering you live _on top_ of the Eiffel Tower!"

"You'd be surprised how often I've gone out since this place was built," I admitted. And then I was struck by a great idea. Touching his shoulder to grab his attention back from the light switch, I gave Jack Frost my proposal. "Hey! Now that I've shown you all of Cloud Nine, would you mind showing me how you bring winter?"

His eyes sparkled at the idea. "You'd want to?"

"Of course!"

Blush rose to my cheeks as he took my hand in his. "Well what're we waiting for?" he exclaimed. As we ran out the front door, I called a farewell to the cherubs and in less than three seconds, I was flying in the air side-by-side with the one and only Jack Frost.

… "What about his teeth? What are they like?" she asked excitedly.

I sighed dreamily, hugging my knees close, leaning backwards precariously, wings fluttering. "Oh, they sparkle like freshly fallen snow," I swooned, and Toothiana giggled, kicking her feet.

Bunny's sarcastic chuckle broke into our girlish bonding. "Yeah, yeah. Ya know, I don't even see what you two find so dang attractive about the guy, alright? He's a- he's a punk is what he is!"

"Oh, stop it, Bunny;" Tooth said gently, "you should be happy that Cupid made another friend. I don't know anyone who's actually hung out with _the_ Jack Frost."

"Exactly my point," Bunny said, shaking his paintbrush at her in reproach. "We don't know much about this guy. For all we know he could be working for Pitch!"

At that, I quickly swallowed the eggnog I had been drinking. "Now hold on, Bunny, I've been spending time with him for more than a month now; he's a sweet boy."

Catching our attention, dreamsand appeared over Sandy's head. He gave Bunnymund a skeptic look, smirking, as three eggs looked to be snowed upon.

"I do _not_ just dislike him because he messes with my egg hunts!" the Pooka exclaimed indignantly.

As we debated this, completely disagreeing with that statement, North came back with a tray of cookies that the four of us devoured in no time. It was four days before the Christmas of 1900 and North thought it was about time for another party, to celebrate the new millennia. Bunny and I sat shoulder-to-shoulder as I drank eggnog and he painted eggs. Sandy sat to Bunny's left on a floating carpet of dreamsand with his legs crisscrossed. Tooth, preferring to use her wings, hovered above me to my right, though she sat on air as if there was a chair there. North took a seat on the floor on Tooth's right, settling down his weary muscles.

As conversations carried on through my friendship with Jack, to the toy preparations, to the goings-on of the past year, things remained as jolly as they should be. An elf had scuttled over to me and sat on my lap. I noticed he had a black eye, but I didn't bother to ask how he got it. Though I contributed to the conversations at hand, there was something on the back of my mind, and Bunny's fur constantly rubbing against my arm reminded me of it every other second.

Bunny didn't like the fact that I made friends with Jack Frost. Apparently they'd met before and it didn't end well. Jack, I found, was a trouble-maker. Like Hallow, he was fun-loving, and that can get on people's bad side sometimes. Like Bunny's. While I found it amusing how flustered he got when conversation turned to the playful winter spirit, I began to grow worried. Was there…something more to his distaste?

Night wore into day and of course Tooth and Sandy were the first to leave. It was nice seeing them again. I had missed the Guardians deeply. It was nice to know that though we didn't communicate much anymore, we were still the closest of friends. Tooth even invited me to come over for tea next February, which I agreed to eagerly. The Tooth Fairy flew off into the distance as I hugged the stout Sandman. He was squishy and small, like a stuffed animal. When he pulled away, there was dreamsand on my toga, which I brushed away whilst laughing about it. He crafted a flying dinosaur to ride upon and, too, flew off into the rising sun.

Bunny and I spent a little more time with North before deciding it was time to get back to eggs and cherubs. I hugged North tightly and thanked him for another wonderful party. Wished him well on the Christmas to come, and turned to hug Bunny as well. But he stopped me and offered to take me home personally. I complied and, after he and North said their goodbyes, jumped into the rabbit hole leading to the base of the Eiffel Tower. Very few people were awake then, but none were children, so no one noticed the Easter Bunny climbing to the top of a giant tower and then disappearing into the nonexistent dome perched at the peak.

Upon arrival, we were bombarded with excited cherubs. The boys were especially excited to see Bunny again, though some of them asked where their beloved Toothiana was. After we pried them off of us, we made our way to my room. There I checked my reflection once more and Bunny looked around to see if there was anything new to see. When he found there was nothing, he sat on my bed.

I sat on the other side, removing my sandals and ribbons. I didn't need to sleep, of course, but at the moment dreaming a sweet dream seemed like the best thing in the world. Being from the "days of old," I was had always had this shyness about showing my ankles too much. I preferred my toga long like it was and the human world wasn't trying to convince me otherwise (yet).

Bunny glanced over to me. "You plannin' on sleepin'?" he asked gently.

I nodded, stretching out my wings which I felt like I rarely used. Yawning, I joked, "I think some of Sandy's dreamsand stuck with me. I'm feeling a bit exhausted."

Bunnymund cracked a smile and chuckled. I lay down on my side, tucking my wings in and in return, Bunny tucked the blanket around me snugly. "You sleep well, Lovey," he said softly, standing.

"Good night, Bunny. I love you," I said, eyes sliding closed.

There was a pause. And then the rabbit petted my wings. "Sweet dreams, Cupid. I love ya, too." With my eyelids weighing heavy on me, Bunny left me to the darkness of my room where I drifted to a blissful sleep, filled with cold kisses and a human man with familiar spring-green eyes.

…

Twenty-one years later, Hallow and I decided that it was time for me to get with the program. We had been out into world many times and we started noticing something odd. Two things actually. The first was automobiles. Automobiles were these frightening, loud, metal monsters that took the place of carriages and chariots everywhere. We tried inspecting one, but we couldn't understand why people were so attracted to these things. They smelled and released a gross gas from the rear. I personally preferred horses over the confusing cars.

The second thing that bewildered the two of us was the fashion growing wildly popular. They called them "flappers;" women who followed this trend. They cut their hair as short as Hallow's and wore short dresses, showing off their legs and ankles. In my day, that would be unheard of. But times have definitely changed. Technology and factories were taking over and people were becoming more and more independent. Women and non-whites were finally gaining the freedom they deserved.

Personally, I never found anything wrong with those a different color than me or different gender or those with different interests. We were all living, breathing creatures. Why can't we all just get along?

Well, just because I couldn't cure the humans of their horrid ways didn't mean that I couldn't admire the changes of the world. Hallow saw my fascination of the fashion and decided it was high time for an attire change. Despite my objections, the Halloween spirit went home and sewed together a new outfit for me. Hallow was amazing at sewing costumes, so it didn't surprise me that the new clothes she designed for me really caught my attention.

One October she burst into Cloud Nine, announcing, "Cupid, hold onto your wings! Wait till you see what I made for you!" I noticed that she also made something for herself, too. It was a dark red cloak and a pumpkin clip for her hair.

After changing into the new clothes in my room, I gasped in awe at my reflection in the mirror. "Whoa…Hallow! How did you make this? I love it!" I twirled around, watching the white skirt spin with me and sway to a stop. It stopped at the middle of my thigh, made of the same cotton material as the shirt. The creative shirt was white, too, but it was different than anything I ever thought about wearing. It had only one sleeve: the left was long-sleeve and loose. I was also given long, fingerless leather gloves because Hallow said they looked "cool."

Because Hallow knew the short skirt would make flying uncomfortable for me, she also fashioned some black tights to go with the outfit. They stopped at my knees where my ribbons still wrapped up my calves and my sandals still adorned my feet. I still wore my gold belt, and the gold armlet was still worn on my bare right bicep.

For about an hour, I gushed over how amazing her sewing skills were and how much I loved the new outfit. She was right when she said that after a thousand years of wearing the same clothes, it was time for a change.

When we settled down, talk turned to Jack Frost. We sat on my bed, eating Bunny's chocolates. Conversation died down for only a few seconds and that's when Hallow jumped into the topic. Her mood had improved over the years when she came back and learned how willing I was to get out of Cloud Nine and have fun again. But just like Bunny, there was something there behind her voice when I spoke of Jack Frost and my secret admiration for him. There was something that she wasn't telling me. They had met only twice, but the meetings were brief, as I was eager to go out and spend time with Jack.

"So, when's Frosty coming back?" she asked, popping a caramel-filled sweet into her mouth.

I shrugged, immediately smiling at the mention of his name. "Who knows? He comes and goes with the seasons."

"He should come trick-or-treating with us sometime," she said carefully, eyes shifting up to me as if she was testing dangerous waters.

"That would be great! I'll ask him next time I see him!" I exclaimed, sitting up. "You know, he's been wearing the same outfit for over a century too. Maybe you should make him new clothes, too?"

A frown pulled at her lips. "Yeah, maybe…" she muttered. She never did tell me what her reluctance about him was, but I could only guess. Jealousy? Perhaps.

But of whom?

Unfortunately we didn't get to trick-or-treat with him. I only saw Jack in the winter, rarely in fall or spring, never in summer. But that was fine with me. I treasured every moment with him. The following month, when he arrived at Cloud Nine, I was in the garden, playing a song on the harp for the cherubs about to awaken, singing to them a melodic song I had made up.

"_Winter rolls in and I'm alight_

_Because I know that in the night, _

_I'll see you._

_I've waited all year to hear your voice_

_Tonight, I've made the choice…"_

Before the song I made up was finished, the tulips opened, revealing the sleeping cherubs inside. I welcomed each of them into the world, hugging and speaking with them. After waving off the last cherub to go to his job, I turned and found Jack Frost standing in the doorway, leaned against his staff. I jumped a bit, startled by his sudden appearance.

"Jack! How long have you been there?" I asked, blushing.

He chuckled, coming over to me to touch the tulips curling back into the soil. "Since you started singing," he said. "You have a beautiful voice, you know that?"

I shifted from foot to foot. "Th-thank you…"

There was a moment of silence as Jack's incredibly blue eyes studied my new attire. "Wanna come bring winter with me?" he offered and I said yes…

…When Jack and I landed, we were in Asia. Our feet barely made any noise as we stepped onto a roof and took a seat. After flying around the world all day, we were in need of a break. It was night and the stars were shining brightly here. Manny sat silently. I got the feeling that he must have turned his back on us to give us our privacy.

Leaning back on my hands, I extended my wings and let them air in the cold night breeze. With the wave of his staff, Jack produced majestic snow that drifted gracefully from the sky. I watched, captivated by Jack's power. From the corner of my eye, I saw him smile at my wonderment. No matter how many times I'd seen it, the winter he brought always astounded me.

A snowflake drifted closer to me, twirling in the air, until it landed and nipped my nose. I laughed lightly, rubbing my nose with my finger. "Very funny, Jack," I said jokingly. I paused a moment before looking back up to the sky. "What you do, Jack…it's beautiful. I wish I could do this," I said distantly.

"What about you, huh?" he asked, lying back on his forearms. "I've seen your work; it's pretty amazing."

"Oh, yes!" I exclaimed, blushing and grinning. "I love my job. Love…is the most beautiful thing in t world. No doubt." I shifted my red-eyed gaze to meet his crystal blues. "Snow and romance go well together. So I have to thank you for making my job easier."

Jack Frost nodded, looking up at the sky. He considered something a moment before speaking. "Cupid…have you ever…" He trailed off, gesturing to me. I thought I knew what he was going to ask, but I wanted to hear him ask it.

"Have I ever what?" I prompted.

He exhaled deeply, running his hands through his white hair. "OK, you don't have to answer me if you don't want to, and it's okay if you don't. I mean, I don't know-"

"Jack!" I interrupted, breaking out in a grin. "Get on with it."

He laughed, shaking his head. "Alright. Have you ever been in love?"

I thought he would ask that. I had been avoided thought of my past loves ever since I met Jack. Though sometimes it was inevitable. Of course I would think about William.

And Domitus.

Even when I was mortal, I didn't prefer thinking about my undeniable love for him. And then once I became a spirit, I let go of those feelings completely. I had no choice.

In a thousand years, I had only been in love with three people. Jack was the third one, though I found it hard to admit it to him because of his innocence.

I didn't want to talk about the others that I'd loved to Jack, but a question was asked and it had to be answered. "Yes, I have," I said quietly. "Twice, actually. The first person was named Domitus. I was young, but when we met I immediately fell for him." I sighed. "Unfortunately so did my best friend. And he loved her. So because I loved both of them so much, I – let him go. They were married and I let it happen. It was better that way."

Jack was silent a moment, taking in the sad tale. His eyes flickered over me, taking in my nostalgic expression. Talking about it out loud hurt. I was surprised by that. But I supposed it was because I had never talked about it. Just kept it bottled up inside, hiding that fact even from myself. When Jack saw that I was done with telling that story, he cleared his throat, scooting closer to me. "Was it…Hallow?" he asked cautiously.

I smiled, shaking my head. "No," I chuckled. I had never seen Hallow interested in anyone. "Her name was Aelia."

"Oh…" He averted his eyes away before turning back to me. "What, um…what about the second person?"

William's story hurt even more than Domitus's. Although my heart clenched and tears threatened the back of my eyes, I told Jack anyway. "His name was William. I had known him since he was young and as he grew older, I realized that I was slowly falling for him. But, like Domitus, he never returned my love. Instead he fell for women who didn't deserve him, or he just slept around."

I was reluctant to go on, mouth suddenly drying. But then Jack's cold hand touched mine, silently encouraging me to finish the story. Taking a deep breath, I continued, "In the end, he couldn't take the hurt he had endured and – took his own life. Right in front of me." I shook my head, closing my eyes against the tears. "I haven't been able to get over it. The depression I went through was indescribable."

We were quiet for a long time after that. I refused to cry in front of Jack. He watched me, speechless, as if he didn't know anything that could make the pain of my past go away. But then, after what felt like an eternity of flashbacks, his arms came around me and he pulled me close to him. My eyes widened, shocked. Never in the twenty-one years we had known one another had he embraced me. It felt nice. He was cold, but it felt good against my flushed skin. He was so skinny, my arms wrapped around him perfectly.

I held myself close to him and Jack rested his chin on my head. He didn't say anything – didn't know what to say. But that was how I preferred it. He smelled like a welcome winter at home. The night was officially perfect. I never wanted to let him go. Perhaps one day I would tell someone the tales of my affection for Domitus, William, _and_ Jack Frost.

**Author's Note:**** What's hip-happening, readers? Guess what? Well, as I looked over the upcoming chapters, I realized that the screen time of Jack and Cupid's relationship is a bit lacking. This is why I thought it would be a grand idea to hear from the fans! :D The next chapter will be focusing on strengthening Jack and Cupid's relationship and showing their adventures together. I want to hear from you! What kind of things would you like to see them go through over the next 89 years? It can be a great big adventure or just a little fluff. Heck, you can even request to see more of Cupid's relationship with the other spirits, if you want. Whatever it is, let me know in either a review or a private message, and I just might put it into the next chapter. Thanks for all your support. I can't wait to hear from you all! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. See ya next time!**

**-Eri**


	16. Mistake

**Author's Note: Thank you to ****bbymojo**** and ****Anonymous568**** for your suggestions!**

**Mistake**

In my years together with Jack, I only wished for the day I allowed myself to love him with all my heart. Every time I thought I would make some sort of move to be closer to him – to hold his hand, to kiss him – this nagging sickness in my gut stopped me. All because of William. All because of Domitus. All because whenever I thought of the times I let myself love, things ended up in disaster. Countless times, I'd tried to tell myself that I had grown; that I could get passed those things if I tried.

Domitus didn't love me because he was in love with Aelia. William didn't love me because I was immortal. Jack Frost…What was holding Jack Frost back from being mine? We were both immortal, we were both best friends. We had spent eighty-nine years together, and still nothing! Jack had never made any moves in the least: no flirting, no hand-holding, no accidental brushes.

But that's just who Jack Frost is. He's mischievous, he's fun, he's wild and free, and…he's not looking for love. When I realized that, I was really disappointed. I wanted to be with him. I wanted him to love me like I grew to love him. That couldn't happen, though. Not while he still felt like a child on the inside. Jack wouldn't change. I knew that, but I couldn't accept it.

I found that the only person who understood my adoration for him was Toothiana. We could go on about him all day and not get bored of it. She had seen him before (though he hadn't seen her) and she felt just as attracted as I was, though I had the suspicion that she might have been more interested in his teeth than anything.

Surprisingly enough, it turned out to be Bunny and Hallow – the people I cared most about in the entire world – who had an issue with my newfound love. Bunny unfortunately outright disliked him. He said that Jack Frost was a "no-good ruffian" who only liked messing with his egg hunts. It was a silly excuse, but I accepted it and, after a while, kept the swooning to a minimum when around the Pooka.

While Hallow liked Jack as a person, she didn't like how head over heels I was over him. In the beginning, everything seemed fine. She would join me and Jack on our days out like nothing. After a while, though, I noticed that she was becoming bitterer as the years went on. She would only speak when spoken to; she would be subject to snap often. Some days, she was fine, some days she would be cold and unusual. It wasn't like her, and it worried me. I would put it off, though. I would do my best to get her to act normal again and brush it off. It wasn't right for me to do, but I was always too busy trying to get Jack to notice me to remember to talk to her.

Until one year. For decades, I had tried to ignore her mood swings, but the years of her unexpected glares were weighing on me. I went eighty-nine years of my life as I normally did. With my friends, I watched the world grow more and more in a way I had never imagined. In the year 2010, Jack, Hallow, and I went exploring. Automobiles had advanced, technology was expanding every day. Will would have loved to see how different things were. It was the day before and the three of us were celebrating together. We landed in North America and caused a ruckus in town. Hallow and Jack played pranks on people; I mostly watched and laughed. Jack scared the daylights out of us when we were inspecting an automobile. He waited until we were close enough to the front window when he set off an alarm.

It blared loudly, making us jump and scream. Jack was double over laughing in the air. After catching our breath, Hallow and I laughed about it, too. Jack was more knowledgeable about the human world. He interacted with people when he could. No one was able to see him still, but he did the best he could to pretend.

To get him back, Hallow snatched his staff from him and he fell to the floor hard. I gasped and knelt by his side. "Jack, are you okay?" I asked him, helping him sit up.

He rubbed the back of his head in pain before bursting out in laughter. "Talk about payback!" he chuckled. I allowed myself to smile, and then helped him up. Hallow gave him back his staff and started to walk off.

"Come on," she said grinning, "let's go see what else we can do!" Before she could get too far, Jack nudged me gently, smirking. With the tap of his staff on the concrete, ice shot across the floor and under Hallow's feet. She slipped and fell flat on her back!

Jack and I laughed at the prank. But Hallow wasn't so pleased. Just like that, her mood flipped. She stood, steadying herself with her broom, and glared. "That hurt, Jack!" she barked.

Jack's laugh which I cherished died in his throat. Still, he tried to smile. "Ah, c'mon, Hallow, it was a joke," he said. "You made me fall from midair!"

"Yeah, but I knew you wouldn't be hurt that much," she said. "Something worse could have happened by slipping on that ice."

My smile faltered as well as Jack's. The two of us exchanged a glance. "Hallow, he didn't mean to hurt you," I said gently, "it was just a little joke."

"Yeah, well, it wasn't funny," she growled, and then turned and strode off.

We knew that she had to cool down. She wasn't too mad this time, just hurt. Jack rolled his eyes and nodded for me to follow him. It was little things like that that made me worry about Hallow. We would be having so much fun and then she would just get so angry over something so little. She had never hurt Jack before, but I was worried about it escalating.

That's when I decided to confront her after all these years. The next day, I joined her for Halloween – just the two of us – helping her put candy in children's bags and pull off pranks she couldn't do alone. It was the first year in a while that we spent a holiday alone together. I had to admit that I missed being alone with her, but I also missed Jack.

The morning after Halloween was spread to the world, I watched the sunrise in North America with Hallow. We sat on a dry mountaintop with a nice view. We laughed and talked together for hours before the first rays of the sun peered up from the horizon. Then we sat in silence for a few minutes, doing nothing but enjoying the sunrise and one another's company. It was now or never.

"Hallow, we have to talk," I said, exhaling deeply.

She didn't look at me. I had a feeling that she knew what was coming. "OK, shoot," she replied.

I studied her as she pulled her crimson cloak closer to her. I knew what I wanted to say, but I didn't know how to say it gently. "Why is it that you act so strange around Jack Frost?"

She paused. "What do you mean?"

I sighed, "You know what I mean." I brought one leg up to rest my arm on. "You're not you when you're around him."

"Oh, I'm me when I'm around him," she said. "But not when I'm around both of you at the same time."

I furrowed my brow, startled by her bluntness. "What does that mean?"

Hallow chuckled, shaking her head, and then looked at me. "You really have no idea how much you've changed, do you," she scoffed. The sadness in her orange eyes nearly killed me. "Ever since you met him, you've been so different. It's always Jack Frost this, or Jack Frost that. He's all you ever talk about a-and you act like you don't have enough time for us anymore," she blurted out. "Us. Your real friends. The friends that have been with you nearly all your life."

Eyes wide, I could do nothing but stare at her. I had never noticed that before. I never saw myself as different. I thought it was everyone else who was acting weird about Jack. "Hallow…I-I'm sorry, I didn't…" I swallowed hard, searching for words. "I'm in love with him." I shrugged meekly.

"Yeah, well this love thing is really changing you," she snapped. "I want my best friend back."

"Hallow, you don't understand," I said. "I can't just change the way I feel about him."

Suddenly she stood, clenching her fists. "Then tell him how you feel already! It's not that hard!" she exclaimed.

I stood as well. I didn't want to argue, but it was already at that point and there was no stopping Hallow when she got angry. "Yes it is that hard, Hallow!" I exclaimed desperately. "You don't understand what it's like to love; you've never been in love."

"Oh, this is because of what happened with Will, isn't it?" she groaned, rolling her eyes.

Suddenly things got serious. Just the mention of his name set me off. But I kept calm. "Don't say that," I said quietly.

"No, you need to hear it," Hallow barked. "You have to let go of the past, Cupid. What happened with Will is over. You can't let what happened to him affect you like this after all these years."

I crossed my arms, turning away. "I have no idea what you're talking about." I lied. I just didn't want to hear it out loud.

Hallow grabbed my shoulder and spun me around to face her. "You're afraid, Cupid. You're afraid that Jack doesn't love you, or that what happened to Will is going to happen with him." Her eyes widened and for the first time, I could tell that her sadness wasn't sadness. It was _worry._ "You can't keep living your life in fear, Cupid. Just get with Jack already and bring me my friend back!"

I slapped her hands away, backing up. "You're wrong, Hallow. I'm not afraid of anything!" I snapped.

"That's not what Pitch says."

My eyes widened and I froze. _Pitch Black?_ How would she know anything about Pitch? The Guardians locked him away centuries ago! Breathless, I eyed the spirit girl. "What are you talking about?" I asked quietly.

Growling, Hallow shook her head, turning away and picking up her broom. "Forget it," she muttered. "You really have changed for the worst."

"Hallow, let's drop that already," I warned. "What do you mean Pitch Black?"

"Just forget it!" she shouted, startling me. For a while, neither of us knew what to say. I was in shock and she was hurt. Finally, she shook her head, hopped on her broomstick, and flew away.

I couldn't find my voice to call her back. How would she speak to Pitch? He was supposed to be locked away. Was it…was it possible that he was free? If so, for how long? And why in the world would Hallow be anywhere near him? I had told her about him before, warned her of his ways. But I never really believed he would be back to haunt the world once more. It was then that I really began to fear what was happening around me. What was happening to my friend. What was happening to me.

…

In January of 2011, things hadn't gotten better. Hallow and I hadn't spoken. I was still in love with Jack Frost. And I was too scared to talk to the Guardians about the theory of Pitch Black's return. I didn't need them running on a wild goose chase. And thus far, Pitch hadn't tried anything to harm the children of the world or me or the Guardians. The most he could have been doing – to my knowledge – was doing his job, which was bringing nightmares.

That wasn't too awful. It was life. There had to be a balance between Sandy's dreams and Pitch's nightmares. There was nothing we could do against that. So I kept quiet. I gave Hallow her space, though all I wanted to do was make things right and find out more about her interactions with Pitch.

I figured that I had to be the one to take the first step. I had to stop ogling over Jack Frost and make my fantasy a reality. Only then would I be able to get used to him. I would accept him and he would accept me. But how could I make that happen?

The month before, I sat down with Jack and had a heart-to-heart with him. Somewhat. We walked together under Manny's light as he brought snow to the city. He kept one hand in the pocket of his new indigo sweater and the other holding the staff that rested on his shoulder. I folded my hands behind my back, admiring his work.

Here I'd dared to ask him if he had ever been in love before. The white-haired boy blinked at the question and thought about it. "No, not that I know of," he said honestly.

I felt a pang in my heart, but I couldn't let it show. "Really?" I asked. "You've been around for almost three hundred years, Jack. Not one person has made your heart flutter or make you feel happy whenever you see them or…even make you think that you don't just want to be friends?"

After another moment of thinking, Jack's beautiful blue eyes studied me. Blush filled his cheeks and he smiled softly. "Well, if you want to know," he started. I almost couldn't breathe. Could it have been this simple all along? "It makes me happy whenever I see you."

I blushed darkly and stopped walking. Jack faced me. "You-you mean it, Jack?" I asked incredulously.

He tilted his head curiously. "Well, yeah, of course," he said. "You're my best friend, Cupid. You've always been there for me when no one else was. But…" My heart stopped and my face paled. I knew where this was going. I wasn't sure if I could take it. Jack approached me and touched my shoulder. His cold hand on my bare shoulder sent chills through me.

"I don't want you to take it the wrong way, Cupid," he said softly, looking up at me. "But you are my best friend. I just don't know how to feel about you."

I fought back tears. This wasn't what I wanted to hear. I wanted him to take me in his arms and tell me how he's loved me all along as I've loved him. Swallowing hard, I touched his pale cheek. "Jack, I…I understand. I just…" What could I say to make this better? What was there to say?

Unable and unwilling to fight the desire, I leaned closer to him. If I could just feel his cold lips on mine, everything would be all right. Jack's cheek warmed on my palm before he stepped back. His eyes were wide; he wore an expression of ambiguity and guilt. Neither of us said a word for a long while.

"I'm sorry," he said softly. After a moment's hesitation, Jack Frost flew away, leaving my broken heart behind in the snow.

…

In retrospect, it wasn't such a smart idea. I don't know what happened to me since I met Jack Frost, but Hallow was right: I was different. After our almost-kiss, I avoided Jack Frost for a while. I needed time to myself to think. Think about what I was going to do now that I knew that he wouldn't be mine.

He didn't feel the same way about me and it nearly drove me mad. Never in my life before had I ever _needed_ to be with someone. After a thousand years, I was lonely. No two ways about it. I was the spirit of love! I shouldn't be without a love in my life. And Jack Frost was the only one I wanted to fill that position in my heart. But he wasn't ready for that commitment.

I couldn't accept that. I had been trying to tell myself to be stronger, to always take matters in my own hands. But when I came up with that wicked idea, I nearly shocked myself. I wasn't sure if it would work, but damn it, it was worth the try.

One winter day, I found Jack Frost in Burgess, Virginia – his home. Of course he was playing with his favorite group of kids. They were sledding and building snowmen or making snow angels when I found them. Jack joined in the fun by making the snow extra slippery so they would slide faster and further. I landed on a telephone pole, close enough to see them, but far enough to not catch their eye.

I watched Jack as he nimbly jumped about, producing more snow for their snowmen. He was perfect in every way to me. His perseverance to be seen only fascinated me more. He didn't care if they couldn't see him or not; he just wanted to be near them in some way.

Shaking my head, I forced myself to focus on what I came to do. Standing straight and tall on the pole, I conjured my bow to appear in one hand as I unsheathed an arrow from its quiver. With the heart-tipped weapon strung strong, I took aim at the target: Jack Frost. He jumped out of the way of the children's sled just before it crashed into a tree. They all fell off, laughing, and Jack joined into the laughing, too. That moment of stillness was all I needed to make the perfect shot.

The arrow poised and ready to fly, I…I…

I released my breath and lowered the weapon, hanging my head in shame. _What am I doing?_ I thought wearily. _This isn't right._

I buried my face in my hand, shaking my head at myself. I was letting my love for him take over me. This wasn't me! This was wrong and cruel! I wanted Jack Frost to love me, but I also wanted him to figure it out on his own time. I was willing to wait a thousand years for this boy. Why not? I had already waited this long for him to come into my life.

"Lovey? You okay?"

Screaming out in surprise, I jumped back, nearly losing my footing. I would have fallen had Jack Frost not grabbed my wrist and steadied me on the pole. He stood on the wires without even trying, his feet frosting the thick black lines.

Laughing at my clumsiness, he cautiously let me go to stand on my own two feet. "What are you doing here, Cupid? I've missed you. I was scared you were mad at me." My heart gave a twinge guiltily. When he noticed the bow and arrow in my hand, he tilted his head. "Are you making one of the kids fall in love?" he asked. "It's not even Valentine's Day. Why are you…?"

He trailed off as realization set in. And that wasn't good on my part. "Jack, it's not what you think-" I tried, raising my hands defensively.

"Were you…were you going to hit me with that?" he asked, pointing to the arrow in my hand.

"N-no!" I lied, something I wasn't good at. "Of course not. I…I was just…"

"Cupid." When I finally met his eyes, I found disbelief and hurt. "Was that arrow meant for me?"

I swallowed hard, unable to lie to his face, but also unable to come out with the truth. Why I was there, what I almost did.

Jack shook his head. "That's low, Cupid," he said quietly. "You shouldn't try to force yourself on me. I thought you said you understood."

Without letting me get an explanation or a plea in, the white-haired boy took off into the sky and flew as far away from me as possible. I couldn't feel my feet. I gently glided down to the floor and kneeled in the snow. I was terrified. What if I lost Jack Frost forever?

**Author's Note: While I don't particularly like the way this chapter came out, I hope you guys do. The plot must move on and I needed to hurry up and get a new chapter out. I apologize for the wait and hope you stick around for the next chapters!**


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